Polina P. Mischenko, PhD, develops and leads mission-aligned programs in service of the UVA and greater Charlottesville community.

Since 2015, Polina has developed and led trauma-informed, mindfulness-based programs to support the mental health and holistic well-being of 800+ youth and 200+ educators locally. She was a contributing author of the Compassionate Schools Project (CSP) curriculum, Flourish!, and directed CSP in Charlottesville for several years. Most recently, Polina founded Elements of Peace, a contemplative arts and nature immersion summer program for local youth that she co-leads with partner organizations.

Prior to this, Polina designed, implemented, and monitored programs and educational experiences abroad. Some of her favorite international work includes developing cross-disciplinary curricula as a Fulbright Scholar in Spain, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in Switzerland, researching national programs at the Federal Child Development Research Centre in Russia, and teaching English, eco-consciousness, and belly dancing at the Robert College summer program in Turkey. These adventures coupled with her lived experiences as a Russian immigrant to the United States have motivated her passion for cross-cultural understanding, peace cultivation, and conscious leadership.

Polina holds a Bachelor’s in Science and Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Behavior from Boston University, a Master’s in International Education Policy from Harvard University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Virginia. She is a Vipassana meditator, a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, and has undergone rigorous yoga training in India and the United States. In her free time, she stewards a contemplative arts community space, known as Castle Hill, which honors the legacy of local artist, Edward Thomas.