A free happiness curriculum from Yale University.

Now for any high school teacher, anywhere.

Free. Adaptable. Evidence-based.

Ready to help your students feel better?

Grades

9-12

Length (weeks)

1-6

Materials

42+

Topics

Based on Dr. Laurie Santos’ seminal course “The Science of Well-Being for Teens” on Coursera, this curriculum will equip your students with evidence-based strategies for feeling happier in high school and beyond. Your students will learn about common misconceptions about happiness; biases that get in the way of happiness; behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that lead to happiness; and how we can achieve our happiness goals. At the end, your students will be equipped with the tools to feel better and build healthier habits.

Click to EXPLORE each unit…

  • Discover what it means to be happy. Dr. Santos examines misconceptions about money, grades, and social media that hold us back.

  • Learn how biases affect our happiness. Dr. Santos explores strategies for healthier comparisons and dealing with our limited attention.

  • Delve into behaviors that boost happiness. Dr. Santos discusses social connection, doing what you love, and the power of sleep and exercise.

  • Explore thought patterns that lead to better moods. Dr. Santos highlights the impact of gratitude, mindfulness, and gaining perspective.

  • Uncover how harnessing emotions can make us happier. Dr. Santos explores how to regulate our fight-or-flight response using the breath.

  • Achieve your happiness goals. Dr. Santos investigates techniques and tips for building better habits and hacking existing habits.

Ready?

Help your students feel better

The New York Times covered Dr. Santos’ course for a reason: there’s simply nothing else like it.

It changed her students’ lives, and it can change yours too.

Teaching Happiness with Dr. Laurie Santos is based on Dr. Santos’ seminal course The Science of Well-Being for Teens on Coursera. Designed to help your students feel better in high school and beyond, it differs from other courses by covering theory and practice. It helps you teach your students students not only what the science of psychology can teach us about well-being, but also evidence-based strategies for how to apply these lessons in our daily lives.

✓ Evidence-based content: All of the content covered in the curriculum is drawn from empirical research in psychology and behavioral science.

✓ Adaptable and flexible: Teacher or counselor. AP Psychology or Algebra 2. One-week unit or a semester-long class. You can mix and match the content however best suits you.

✓ Global and collaborative community: Join the community of thousands of teachers all over the world who are using this curriculum.

✓ Practical and theoretical: Not just a psychology course. Not just a well-being program. This is the first and only well-being curriculum that’s designed to be equal parts theoretical and practical.

✓ Successfully tested: Already used by thousands of teachers in hundreds of schools.

✓ Ivy League (without the tower): Inspired by the most popular course in Yale University’s 300-year history. Customized with themes, questions, and examples intended for teen students.

When you join Teaching Happiness with Dr. Laurie Santos, you’re joining a global community of educators, all committed to helping their students feel better.