Listening Lab Training Press Release (5/5/25)
In the Face of Budget Cuts and Rising Campus Polarization, a Scalable Solution Emerges: Listening Labs
[New York, NY. May 2, 2025] At a time when university leaders are being forced to gut DEI programs, cut student services, and manage increasingly divided campuses, one challenge remains painfully clear: students are more lonely, anxious, and disconnected than ever.
In response to this urgent moment, Mindfulness Consulting is opening its signature Listening Lab Facilitator Training to the public for the first time on June 13 in New York City. This one-day training equips higher ed professionals, faculty, and student leaders with a proven methodology to foster empathy, dialogue, and connection—at scale and on a budget.
Listening Labs are structured, facilitated experiences that allow participants to feel truly heard and seen—even across political, racial, and generational divides. They are not debates or surface-level conversations. They are immersive experiences rooted in mindfulness, deep listening, and a trauma-informed approach to building trust and psychological safety.
Yael Shy, Founder of Mindfulness Consulting and creator of Listening Labs, is a faculty member at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service and has been working in higher education for over 15 years.
“Universities are facing a triple crisis: funding is shrinking, students are struggling, and campuses are becoming increasingly polarized,” said Yael Shy. “This model directly addresses all three by creating spaces where students feel safe to show up, speak, and connect.”
This year, Listening Labs won the National Student Affairs Professional Association (NASPA) Gold award for Excellence in Programming and has been rolled out at universities and community organizations across the country, including New York University, Quinnipiac University, University of Hawaii, Ohio University, Wing Luke Museum, and beyond.
“The Listening Lab program at Quinnipiac University has successfully created a safe space where students can comfortably listen and be heard by peers, fostering connections with both new acquaintances and deepening bonds with existing friends,” says Tom Ellett, Chief Experience Officer at Quinnipiac University. “In today's isolated world, it is crucial to provide opportunities for peer engagement, addressing the complexities that challenge student interaction and wellbeing.”
Our data from hundreds of Listening Labs across the country reveal a significant drop in participants’ feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety after completing a Listening Lab and a significant rise in feeling heard, connected, and understood.
To watch a short video about Listening Labs, click here.
Listening Labs were developed in 2022 in response to the well-documented and growing loneliness epidemic among Generation Z, as well as rising university priorities around fostering belonging, mental well-being, and student resilience. In a climate where the current presidential administration’s actions have intensified political polarization, marginalized vulnerable communities, and further strained the mental health of young people, universities find themselves under immense pressure to find scalable, evidence-based solutions that can reduce isolation, rebuild trust, and help students engage across deepening social and ideological divides. Listening Labs provide just that: a transformative peer-led model that trains students to listen deeply, foster empathy, and create spaces of connection and psychological safety in their communities.
“I’ve seen how students deeply want to connect with one another but often don’t know how. That’s where Listening Labs comes in,” said NYU graduate student and Listening Lab Leader Marium Imran. “It creates a unique space in academia where students practice active listening, build authentic connections, and find a sense of belonging in an increasingly disconnected world."
For the first time, institutions across the country can send representatives to certify in the model and bring Listening Labs back to their own communities.
“This is about giving educators and student life professionals practical tools that don’t require a massive budget,” said Yael Shy. “When students feel heard, they heal. And when they heal, they can thrive, together.”
EVENT DETAILS
Listening Lab Leader Training
🗓️ Thursday, June 13, 2025
⏰ 10:00am–5:00pm ET
📍 NYU Campus, New York City
💰 $2,000 Early Bird (through May 10) | $2,200 after
🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.mindfulnessconsulting.net/listening-lab-training
About Mindfulness Consulting
Mindfulness Consulting works with colleges and universities to design programs that support mental health, belonging, and inclusive leadership. Their flagship program, Listening Labs, offers a low-cost, high-impact solution to strengthening listening, building belonging and fostering connection on campus.
Media Contact:
Isabel Mata
Director of Outreach
isabel@mindfulnessconsulting.org
www.mindfulnessconsulting.org
