Looking back, we all miss our school days. In school, we were taught self-care and manners, prose and math. But none of the text-books taught us how to be happy. As adults, sometimes we can’t shake the feeling that we’re doing it all wrong. Although we long for a luxurious house, having a well-paying job and making all our material dreams a reality; shouldn’t contentment be our priority?
Well, this is what this revolutionary school is trying to change. This new elementary school in Miami will teach kids how to be happy.
The Centner Academy in Miami will teach the kids meditation along with mindfulness lesson on subjects like emotional intelligence and how to be resilient in the face of challenges.
In a path-breaking step, the school that is scheduled to open in September will prioritize on happiness and well-being along with academics.
According to reports, entrepreneurs Leila and David Centner founded the school along with Tal Ben-Shahar, an expert in the field of positive psychology.
Talking about their futuristic school, Ben-Shahar who also co-founded the ‘Happiness Studies Academy’ and taught a course at Harvard on how to be happy, says:
“Traditional academic subjects are still important, but as evidence grows in the new science of happiness, it doesn’t make sense to ignore that first list of goals. Whether we’re talking 4-year-olds or 14-year-olds, we know how to help children become happier.”
When Leila Centner visited India for a retreat, she noticed that ‘other people in the class were successful on paper but weren’t happy.’
“I realized, all of these things that I’m learning now if they’re taught to kids from the time they start school, the world will be a much different place.”
When the founder couple failed to find a perfect school for their child, this observation of theirs inspired them to build a school of their own.
Devised with a similar model to a school in India that also teaches students how to be happy, this Miami school intends to impart lessons on the five aspects of well-being i.e spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional through stories. They are also planning to coach and mentor parents so that when the kids get home, they are given a healthy environment to flourish.
Although we try and lead a happy and peaceful life, no one specifically taught those of us who struggle with adulting exactly how to do so. But here is a school that will help the future generation build a blissfully happy life. We sure wish we’d enrolled in such a school back in the good old days. Don’t you?