Growing evidence shows us that happy people enjoy better physical and mental health, are more generous, more socially engaged, and typically experience more success in life. After almost three years of living through a pandemic, you deserve every opportunity to learn about the science of happiness. Implementing these research based practices may enhance your personal life, the lives of your students, and your classroom instruction.  

In this course, we will draw from the fields of Positive Psychology and Happiness Studies to explore powerful information and tools that, when applied, can improve the quality of your life and the lives of your students. Positive Psychology is the study of what goes well in human beings and what makes us flourish. It is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The focus is on building on what goes right rather than fixing what is wrong.  

Topics include but are not limited to: developing a new relationship with stress, tapping into the mind-body connection, cultivating positive emotions, utilizing your unique profile of character strengths, building resilience and post-traumatic growth, cultivating hope and grounded optimism, making meaningful change, self-directed neuroplasticity, mindfulness and meditation. 

CASEL competencies will be addressed throughout the course.

To find out more about the Happiness Studies Academy, from which this course is developed, click here.

About the Instructor

Karen Renaud, M.Ed., MAHPERD Secondary Physical Education Teacher of the Year 2016.  Karen has been teaching in the field of wellness education for over 20 years and proudly served as the K-12 Wellness Subject Matter Leader for the Hopkinton Public School district and currently works as a trainer for the non-profit organization, Mental Health Collaborative. She has presented at the MAHPERD, SHAPE America Eastern District Association and National conventions as well as the Advancing School Mental Health National Conference.  Several years ago, she was introduced to Positive Psychology while developing a high school stress management course.  She was so fascinated by this field of study that she enrolled in a certification program in Wholebeing Positive Psychology so she could share these skills and concepts with students and colleagues.  In the years since, she has also completed certifications in Positive Psychology Coaching and Happiness Studies with Dr. Tal Ben Shahar, Meditation and Mindfulness, and Integrative Health.