Project Happiness Program Effects on Social Emotional Learning
INTRODUCTION
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
During Fall Semester 2013 Project Happiness
partnered with researchers from UC Berkeley to
track the effectiveness of the Project Happiness
curriculum.
Using a Repeated Measures Design, researchers received usable data from 13 teachers evaluating 150
students that indicated a statistically significant increase as a result of their participation in the Project
Happiness curriculum.
The data was collected from 3 different K-5
schools, including one underserved population.
All three school sites implemented the Project
Happiness lessons 1- 9 over the course of the
semester (approximately 3 months).
In total we evaluated 13 classrooms and 150
students. Both quantitative and qualitative data
were analyzed from survey results and
anecdotal evidence.
Due to limits on validated self-report measures
for the subjective happiness of young children,
researchers chose to rely on teacher-report
surveys. Pilot teachers were asked to assess
every participating student individually before
and after completing the Project Happiness
program.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN
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Subjective Happiness
TESTIMONIALS
VIDEO testimonials from student and teacher
participants!
“Project Happiness provided me with a beautiful
structure from which to teach all these really
important life skills. The curriculum took big social
and emotional learning concepts, that many adults
have trouble understanding, and put them into a
manageable, teachable lessons for kids.”
A Paired Sample T-test was run on three measures, Subjective Happiness (Lyubomirsky, 1999),
Compassion (Shiota, Keltner, & John, 2006), and Curiosity (Litman & Jimerson, 2004). Researchers
hypothesized that there would be a difference between the pre-course scores and the post-course
scores. Statistical significance was found for all three measures, as displayed in the graphs to the right.
-Terri Feinberg, Teacher
These results suggest a strong positive correlation between the applied positive psychology,
neuroscience and mindfulness techniques found in the PH Curriculum, with increases in happiness.
Compassion
“It was a fun learning experience and I feel like I
am a happier person now that I have completed
it. Go Project Happiness!”
-Sammy Yamashita, Student
QUALITATIVE RESULTS
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Over the course of 9 lessons, the students were
taught science-based tools for developing:
1) Long-term and Short-term Happiness,
2) Gratitude, 3) Strengths, 4) Perspective
taking, 5) Mindset, 6) Emotional Management,
7) Empathy, 8) Differences and similarities with
others, and 9) Altruism and giving back in a
meaningful way.
MEAN COMPARISIONS:
Pre-Course Scores (T1) VS. Post-Course Scores (T2)
71%
CONCLUSION
of the students were rated by their teachers as having shown positive academic benefits
These findings suggest that students can
expect to experience a statistically significant
increase in happiness as a result of Project
Happiness programs.
stemming from their participation in Project Happiness.
82%
of the students were rated by their teachers as having increased their emotional resilience
as a result of participation in Project Happiness.
81%
of the students were rated by their teachers as happier as a result of participation in
Project Happiness.
87.5%
of the students’ teachers agreed that participating in Project Happiness increased the student’s
social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies.
Curiosity
Further, this analysis adds scientific validation
to the growing body of research around
positive psychology, neuroscience, and
mindfulness that Project Happiness’ programs
are grounded in, as well as offers still more
evidence that happiness can be taught!