The Semester Intensive curriculum has partnered with Harvard researchers interested in our approach to development and fulfillment. We have been working with Harvard researchers, Sara Lazar from Massachusetts General Hospital and Lisa Conboy from Harvard’s Osher Institute, to study the efficacy of our educational strategies. Their research protocol will help us to better understand the general effects of meditation and yoga as well as the specific effects of the Semester Intensive curriculum on physical and emotional health as well as cognitive functioning. We hope to make great strides in quantifying the impact of a curriculum of human fulfillment and share these research findings with institutions of higher education. Students who participate in the Semester Intensive are asked to take paper and pencil and computer-based inventories at the beginning and end of the program. We are also interested in studying the longitudinal impact of our curriculum and work with our graduates to repeat these inventories six months after the completion of the program. This cutting-edge research will help us to better communicate the benefits of a developmental curriculum and to influence the scope of young adult education.
Lesley University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges to offer college credit. Lesley is a diverse, coeducational university based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with learning sites in 21 states as well as in Israel. It has been recognized as one of the “best” in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings and included in the Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Regional Colleges” listings. Lesley is a leader in progressive education and puts a high value and emphasis on experiential learning opportunities like the Semester Intensive.