ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
Based on the results of positive psychology, Happiness Lessons aim to provide methodological support to develop the ability to nurture happiness in children attending nurseries and schools.
The Happiness Lessons Programme has been successful for three years. In 2016 and 2017 the Positive Psycholgy research Team of Eotvos Lorand University led by Prof Attila Olah studied the effectiveness of the Happiness Lessons Programme. During the study eight tests and questionnaires were used, for example the Pieron test and Flow tests of creativity and emotional intelligence. It is now scientifically proven that Happiness Lessons positively contribute to the emotional development and inner well-being of children.
Happiness Lessons (mostly based on the work of Martin Seligman and Prof. Sonja Lyubomirsky) were launched in Hungary in September 2016 by Bella Bagdi, self-improvement singer, President of The World Is Better With You Foundation. The following year 3,700 teachers from 6 countries joined the Programme.
HOW IT WORKS
Sign Up for the Happiness Lessons Programme
Download the scientifically approved curriculum and teaching materials
Give the lessons using the teaching materials
Upload photos or videos to our student’s works page
Apply for the Happy School Qualification
Take part in our research programmes
Join our training sessions
Become a Happiness Lesson Trainer
Over 3700 Teachers Are Already Members
Our Happiness Lessons Program has 60,000 student participants from Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia and Croatia.
The IWEN (Internatioanl Wellbeing Education Network) Happiness Lessons Program in schools has been launched in Hungary in 2014 with more than 3,700 teachers and psychologists currently delivering and presenting happiness lessons to more than 60,000 children. The effectiveness of this program was also measured scientifically by the Positive Psychology Research Team of Eotvos Lorand University in the 2015-2016 és 2016-2017 school years. The results of this study have shown that our Happiness Lessons contribute to the positive development of the psyches and minds of school children, to their improved wellbeing and also to increased creativity.
“In our Happiness Lessons, we provide experience-rich and cheerful tasks, games and exercises, which we use to gradually increase joy and love of live. Our children can bravely walk down the path leading to adulthood with a strong faith in their future, then become people with the potential for happiness”
Prof. Dr. Emőke Bagdy, Professor Emeritus, University lecturer, Specialist clinical psychologist, European psychotherapist trainer
Numerous studies show that Happiness Lessons decrease anxiety in students while improving their confidence. They not only become more balanced, but they also perform better at school.
HOW CAN YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM HAPPINESS LESSONS?
Following strict methodological and professional guidelines the Happiness Lessons Programme consists of ten consequent topics designed for nursery, primary and secondary school children. They are meant to gradually unveil the different components and conditions of happiness.
The Programme embraces a number of various methods, supporting individual and group work in many different ways. Our lessons lean on an encouraging and affirmative pedagogical attitude using techniques like stress relief, relaxation, meditation, recollection of own experiences, as well as brainstorming and the experience-based construction of new knowledge.
Our intention is to reach the serious goal (i.e. the development of the ability for happiness in next generations) through playful, creative tasks and exercices. As a result, Happiness Lessons incorporate music, drawing, improvisations, photography, film making and a lot of other creative activities.
For each and every topic we provide you with the following:
Theoretical background
Lesson Plans
3 tasks to choose from
Freely downloadable songs related to the topic
THE COMMUNITY-BUILDING EFFECT OF THE PROGRAMME
The Programme positively affects the development of children and their way of thinking, and due to its system of tasks it also helps build the class into a well-knit team, it strengthens social connections and friendships, improves parent-child relationships, moreover it has a positive effect on teachers and – as feedback shows – even on the school community as a whole. We provide effective tools to increase the level of happiness and to recall positive experiences consciously. We believe that those who take part in this process, whether students, parents or teachers, will be able to discover the experiences which fill them with positive feelings and confidence. These experiences can originate from their own or others’ rich personalities, lives and their interactions.
8 BENEFITS OF IWEN HAPPINESS LESSONS
HOW MANY HAPPINESS LESSONS SHOULD BE TAUGHT A MONTH?
You should teach at least one Happiness Lesson a month, during which your students perform at least one of the designated tasks. If you aim to reach more visible positive results you can give one lesson a week!
During the rest of the month you can encourage your students freely to learn songs or to perform any other creative tasks related to the current topic.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE PROGRAMME DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR?
You can join the Programme whenever you wish!
Every month has a given topic, which is not related to the topic of the previous month, so you can start to give IWEN Happiness Lessons at any time.
THE MAIN REASON WHY TEACH HAPPINESS
Unleash your imagination and imagine a viable, sustainable, happy and peaceful future!
It is an uplifting feeling to see that the young, the middle-aged and the elderly of the future live a meaningful life, and they see their goals and opportunities, can easily cope with the difficulties of the everyday life, discover the joy of life, preserve harmony in their relationships and act not only for their own success, but also to take responsibility for making the world a much better place with their way of thinking and work.
Imagine, that love, helping others, forgiveness, and gratitude are part of the everyday life one day, in which people with the ability of happiness create peace around themselves.
We hope to have such a future generation.
The people who can live a happy life in the future, are sitting behind the desks today…
The people who can live this future, are sitting behind the desks today, who get a lot of useful knowledge, but who have to be also prepared to become the heroes of their own lives!
Happiness Lessons could help to take the first steps on this path. When we think of this future, in fact, we have to think about how to create a new generation with values such as love, tolerance, happiness, compassion and sincere care of others. For this, education is the key.
And really, that is the mission of the Iwen Happiness Lessons.
The time has come to act. We need to take more responsibility for others and the world that we live in.
It is vital to recognize, so that we really can make the world a happier place. A more peaceful place.
If you contribute to have this vision realized even with one step, you have contributed to make the whole mankind happier.
It is important to look at Happiness Lessons from a greater perspective – not only how much extra work and time is needed to teach the lessons – it is essential for you to know, that improving the ability of happiness of the children is a responsible job, that you do for creating better human beings and better world.
Create Change!
DISCOVER OTHER HAPPINESS LESSONS CLASSROOMS
Take a peek at Happines Lessons! We have almost ten thousand reports, pictures and videos in our gallery, some of which you can see below.
PROGRAMME LEADERS
BELLA BAGDI
President of IWEN and The World is Better With You Foundation
Founder of Happiness Lessons Program
Writer
Motivational speaker
Self-improvement singer
PROF. ATTILA OLÁH
Consulting scientific advisor of IWEN Happiness Lessons
Leader of Positive Psychology Laboratory at Eotvos Lorand University
University lecturer
President of Hungarian Psychological Association
PROF. DR. EMŐKE BAGDY
Professor Emeritus
University lecturer
Specialist clinical psychologist
European psychotherapist trainer
“The studies designed to measure the effectiveness of the tasks performed in Happiness Lessons show that these exercises strengthen self-confidence, endurance, increase concentration, enhance divergent thinking and creativity. Happiness Lessons, included in skill development programmes should be a part of both public and adult education.”
Prof. Attila Oláh, Leader of Positive Psychology Research Team
