By Cal Rec Sports and the Greater Good Science Center

Students and professionals lucky enough to work in a campus recreation setting get to see on a daily basis that active and healthy habits contribute to balanced and happy living.

Being able to talk about the principles underlying that connection in concrete terms, however, isn’t always as easy.

This is your chance to learn more about themes like empathy, mindfulness, and gratitude from renowned experts, including Rick Hanson, Barbara Fredrickson, Paul Ekman, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and Jon Kabat-Zinn—for FREE.

Greater Good is committed to the science of a meaningful life

Created by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, “the Science of Happiness” is a free eight-week online course that explores the roots of a happy and meaningful life. The course is built on extensive cross-disciplinary research that spanned—among other fields—psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. That research led positive psychology to the crucial finding that happiness is inextricably linked to two things: having strong social ties and contributing to the greater good—or something bigger than yourself.

“The Science of Happiness” is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) hosted on the edX platform, which means the course is freely open to students from all over the world. It has become a worldwide phenomenon; over 75,000 participants are already signed up and enrollment is expected to exceed 100,000.

“The edX platform is freely open to students from all over the world.”

Berkeley’s Department of Recreational Sports and the Greater Good Science Center invite all NIRSA members and institutions to participate in this course!

As a class participant, you will engage with some of the most provocative lessons from this cutting-edge research and learn practical strategies for nurturing your own happiness. Research suggests that up to 40% of our happiness depends on our habits and activities, and so participants will learn a new practice to foster social and emotional well-being each week. The course is designed to help you track your progress along the way!

You will be able to proceed through “The Science of Happiness” at your own pace; however, students who participate between September 9—the course’s launch date—and November 4 will have more opportunities to engage with instructors and fellow students. Even within that window, though, live interaction with instructors will be limited.

You can earn NIRSA Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by completing the class. NIRSA is offering 1.6 CEUs for the eight-week course and .4 CEUs for the two-week course. NIRSA CEUs can be applied toward application or renewal requirements for the NIRSA Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals.

Please consider participating in “The Science of Happiness.” This is a unique and practical education opportunity that we hope you will share with your staff and colleagues—as well as with the populations you serve.