Science of Happiness course

Science of Happiness

At Futures Academy, we aim to elevate the happiness levels of our students by equipping them with the skills needed to thrive.

We help students discover not only how they learn best but also how to adopt the habits proven to develop a growth mindset and to actually improve happiness. We utilize cutting-edge research from the fields of positive psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and beyond. We teach our students the researched-based principles of how learning works so they can improve their study habits, manage stress, overcome obstacles, approach homework successfully, and meet deadlines. We also provide a variety of workshops and opportunities for students to develop the habits proven to increase happiness. Our goal is for your student to learn to work independently and to adopt the behaviors and actions that are proven to lead to happiness.

Watch a sneak peek of our Mindshift: Science of Happiness course.

Happiness is Yale University's most popular course in its 317 year history! Ask for more information about our Science of Happiness course... we are ENROLLING NOW!

Happy students

Happiness is more than an emotion.

Students face many stressors and challenges in life. For some students, a test is a trigger that causes anxiety. For others, it might be a social situation or the pressure to excel. In teaching students how to recognize their current emotions, to assess them, and to take actions to improve them, we give our students’ effective tools for managing stress and moving to a positive, growth mindset.   

Happiness research

Did you know there is actual ‘Happiness Research’?

There are small actions each of us can take to improve our happiness levels. These actions can become habits that work to elevate how we think about ourselves and others. One of the foundational principles is learning to be happy in any circumstance and to not wait for perfect circumstances (such as all A’s) to experience joy.

We have incorporated the seminal research of Dr. Carol Dweck, Dr. Angela Duckworth and Shawn Achor into a course called the Mindshift: The Science of Learning. This course is a required elective for our full-time students, is UC/CSU approved, and counts toward graduation requirements. Most importantly, it teaches the principles of learning and happiness.

Music Club - STEAM clubs

All work and no play is no fun! 

We take learning seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to laugh and play – yes, the teachers too. In fact, learning research shows that when students take productive breaks (we call them ‘brain breaks’), they actually improve their ability to retain information and enjoy learning more. When was the last time your child’s teacher suggested they put the book down and build a robot or take a walk? 

My son is in 9th grade and has been going here since 7th grade. The teachers are absolutely amazing. What a difference from our other experience with teachers. They actually take the time to figure out what way your child learns best. My kid is thriving there. He has great friends and he is very happy.
- Sharilyn A.
Futures Parent

Learn more about our happiness factor

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