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David Shaw and Goldie Hawn Launch Mental Wellness Program in Maine
  • 09
  • 12
  • 2022

David Shaw and Goldie Hawn Launch Mental Wellness Program in Maine

Portland, Maine, December 9, 2022    

The Goldie Hawn Foundation and David Evans Shaw announce the initial launch of the Foundation’s MindUP program for mental wellness in several Maine schools via funding from the Shaw Family Foundation.

Already used in hundreds of schools across the United States and internationally, MindUP harnesses the power of developmental neuroscience, mindful awareness practice, social-emotional learning, and positive psychology to foster children’s well-being and resiliency.  The program was developed in response to a growing crisis in youth mental health.

Shaw’s interest in brain health & wellness programs derives in part from his leadership experience in transformative science-based organizations where individual and collective success is highly dependent on mental fitness.  His activism for brain health programs escalated sharply following his struggle with a nearly fatal brain injury in 2011.   David’s remarkable recovery from viral encephalitis benefitted significantly from powerful “contemplative science” practices learned via Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Chopra Institute, and other sources.  He has since shared his experience widely and has become an advocate for brain wellness practices to benefit a world faced with surging mental health challenges. 

Goldie Hawn created MindUP in 2003. “I had a call to action to create a program that would help kids learn how to self-regulate their emotions, become more resilient and learn about how their brain works to give them a road map out of despair and into a more positive mindset. Combining the brilliance of neuroscientists, teachers, positive psychologists and experts in mindfulness, my dream for kids came true, with the creation of our program MindUP”.

In 2020, Goldie Hawn joined David Shaw in Maine to evaluate prospects for bringing MindUP to Maine schools.  The process of bringing MindUP to Maine in 2020 was disrupted by the global COVID pandemic. MindUP has since gone through a significant digital transformation, making training and curriculum accessible online. Maine will directly benefit from the MindUP for Life Digital program courses and resources.

About MindUP For Life

MindUP for Life is a universal evidence-based curriculum and training program whose mission is to help youth, educators, and families develop the mental fitness needed to thrive in school, work, and life. Founded in 2003, it is the signature program of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created in response to the global epidemic of childhood aggression, anxiety, depression, and suicide. Based firmly in neuroscience, MindUP for Life and its specialized streams provides individuals with the skills and knowledge to manage stress successfully, regulate emotions, and face the challenges of the 21st century with optimism, compassion, and resilience through simple-to-administer curricula and activities. 

About David Shaw & Black Point Group

David Shaw, CEO of Black Point Group, is a prominent impact investor and social activist with extensive global leadership experience in science-based ventures, investment management and public service.  He is passionate about harnessing the power of modern science and inspired teams to benefit the world via healthcare and other applications. He has helped build more than a dozen successful tech companies including IDEXX Laboratories, Ikaria and Covetrus.  David is Treasurer emeritus of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Patron of Nature at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, chair emeritus of The Jackson Laboratory, trustee emeritus of the National Park Foundation, a founding trustee of the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum and an advisor to Arctaris Impact Investors who recently purchased Saddleback Ski Area in Maine.  He is the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from Bates, Colby, UNE, MECA and USM.  Learn more HERE 

David Shaw presenting at Sages & Scientists