Enrolling in our programs is not just an investment in personal health and wellbeing but also a commitment to fostering resilient communities. Through interdisciplinary learning opportunities like our master’s degree in integrative health and wellbeing coaching, certificates, and courses in integrative therapies and healing practices, students gain the tools to transform their own lives while contributing to the greater collective by promoting whole health practices that positively impact our communities. Gifts that fund scholarships and fellowships provide support for current and future students while easing the burden of tuition.  

Contribute to established student scholarships such as those listed below or establish your own named scholarship fund:

• A. Marilyn Sime Scholarship 
  Expand scholarship opportunities for students with interest in integrative therapies and healing practices.
   
• Margaret Hagen Smaby Arts and Healing Scholarship
  Support graduate students in health and wellbeing, with a special emphasis on arts and healing.
   
• Maxine G. Strege Scholarship
  Champion students at the Bakken Center.

Chronic pain negatively impacts peoples’ lives and is the leading cause of opioid addiction in the United States. The Center’s Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program is tackling this crisis through cutting-edge research of innovative treatments for pain and overall health, including one of the largest National Institutes of Health back pain trials in the US. Another important priority for this interdisciplinary team is to partner with historically marginalized populations to identify creative and culturally responsive ways to support physical, mental, and social wellbeing. For instance, our Partners4Pain initiative exemplifies our commitment to exploring new avenues for pain management and overall wellbeing.

• Integrative Health and Wellbeing Research Program
  Shape culturally agile health researchers, fund innovation, and generate pilot data needed to pursue federal grants.

Demand for our webinars, community mindfulness classes, and workshops has skyrocketed. Engaging in mindfulness programs and wellbeing webinars offers transformative benefits for individuals and communities alike. These initiatives provide participants with practical tools to enhance their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Mindfulness not only fosters stress reduction and resilience but also promotes a deeper sense of connection to oneself and others. By offering free access to these programs, we aim to make these resources accessible to a broader audience. The impact resonates beyond the individual, creating a ripple effect that contributes to healthier, more connected communities. 

Strengthen individuals and communities around Minnesota and the world:

• Wellbeing Events Fund 
  Safeguard sustaining free or sliding scale pricing in programming, like the Wellbeing Series and webinars.
   
• Mindfulness: In Recognition of Mariann Johnson
  Remove program participation barriers and support the hiring, retention, and training of quality mindfulness facilitators.

Our commitment to integrating academic rigor, cutting-edge research, and community outreach positions us as pioneers in the field of integrative health and wellbeing. Sustainability is not just an ecological concept for us; it is inherent in our mission to bring transformative health practices to the mainstream. 

• Center for Spirituality & Healing General Fund
  Strengthen the Bakken Center's core functions underlying our transformative learning experiences, pioneering research, and compelling outreach activities.
   
• Kreitzer Strategic Initiative Fund
  Seed and support strategic initiatives identified by the Center director that advance wellbeing and human flourishing.

The Tibetan Healing Initiative (THI) is dedicated to healing, fostering happiness, and compassionate care for individuals, communities, and our planet via integrative, holistic health involving Tibetan medicine and Buddhist contemplative science. THI promotes human flourishing through cross-cultural learning, community building, research, and scholarship.

• Tibetan Healing Initiative Legacy (THI) Fund 
  Supports THI community engagement, academic excellence, student scholarships, and research. 
  • Community Engagement – We are striving to preserve and develop Tibetan culture through intergenerational education programs; forging partnerships for Tibetan medicine curriculum development in the West; contributing to initiatives like the UMN Task Force for Death, Dying, Disposition; and supporting educational resources for the Tibetan community.
  • Academic Excellence and Student Scholarships - We aim to offer transformational courses, expand course offerings, and provide scholarships for students.
  • Research - We are seeking support to fund pilot projects to generate crucial data for pursuing federal grants.

In an era where the arts and healing movement is gaining unprecedented recognition, we are committed to pioneering research and practices that harness the healing power of the arts.  In the dynamic realm of NeuroArts, recent breakthroughs reveal the tangible effects on art in both the brain and body. Research affirms a truth long sensed intuitively – the arts are indispensable in preventing, managing, and recovering from various physical and mental challenges. 

Arts, Healing & Wellbeing Fund 

Supports Arts, Healing & Wellbeing initiatives to include community engagement, academic excellence and research.

• Community Engagement - Supports initiatives such as "Waking the Oracle" events that ignite healing, and wellbeing through music, dance, storytelling, and dialogue, fostering connections to self, community, and the planet for a positive future. 
• Academic Excellence - Bolsters courses such as Music for Wellbeing, Creative Arts in Health and Healing, Music, Health, and Healing, and Healing Imagery to advance academic exploration in the field. 
• Research - Provides resources to support pioneering research endeavors, driving innovation and evidence-based practices in the intersection of arts, healing, and wellbeing, ultimately advancing knowledge and understanding in the field.