The Attention Project
Teaching the skills of attention, and attending to ideas that matter.
Attending is a foundational skill. An attentive person is better able to consider ideas, see the world, and understand their peers. An attentive student is more successful in their classes. An attentive community pays more heed to the places we live and the people we live with. However, attention is rarely considered a skill we can learn and improve. The Attention Project is a community of St. Lawrence University faculty and staff committed to teaching the skills of attention and building classrooms where we collectively pay attention to the world around us and the ideas worth thinking about.
The Attention Project is currently looking for Attention Fellows for the Spring 2026 semester! If you are interested in how you can help students better develop their abilities to attend in your classes, please reach out to Jeff Maynes, CITA Director, at jmaynes@stlawu.edu.
Attention Fellows will meet over lunch (12pm-1pm) three times in the Spring 2026 semester: February 6th, March 6th, and April 10th.
What is Attention?
When we ask students to pay attention, what do we mean and what skills are we trying to help students develop?
Motivating Attention
How do we help motivate students to pay attention, particularly in the early phases of skill development?
Practicing Attention
How do we help students practice their skills in attending when we are not present?