LG 'Experience Happiness' Initiative Brings Sustainable Happiness Skills To Youth Across America

The new LG Experience Happiness initiative is reaching more than 250,000 teenagers this semester on the path to LG's goal of equipping 5.5 million American youth with sustainable happiness skills. Life's Good: Experience Happiness brings together leaders in the science of happiness and education, including Inner Explorer, Project Happiness and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. And, with the addition of Discovery Education, every school in the United States now has access to no-cost curriculum that introduces sustainable happiness and the six sustainable happiness skills.

According to the American Psychological Association, when school is in session, kids are the most stressed group in the country. Studies show two out of three youth in the U.S. today are stressed.^[1] But happiness is a skill that can be learned. By partnering with leaders in education and the science of happiness, the LG Experience Happiness platform provides students across the country with access to first-rate resources that make sustaining happiness a long-term reality.

"LG recognizes the importance of youth social emotional well-being and is focused on providing them with the skills necessary to start down the path to sustainable happiness," said William Cho, president and CEO, LG Electronics North America. "We're dedicated to achieving our goal of reaching as many students and as many schools as possible so that the young people in America have the resources and tools necessary to combat stress and maintain happiness."

Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness on March 20 as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. Supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.

LG Experience Happiness partner, Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California Berkeley, which advances the science of happiness, has identified six Sustainable Happiness Skills, which form the foundation of the LG 'Experience Happiness' program:  mindfulness, human connection, positive outlook, purpose, generosity and gratitude.

"Most people don't realize that happiness is in actuality a learnable skill set," said Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas, Ph.D, GGSG research director. "Through our research, we've uncovered the skills necessary to learn and retain happiness rather than experiencing happiness as a temporary feeling. LG's commitment to spread knowledge of these core skills will impact youth in the U.S. in a positive way for years to come."

The Life's Good Experience Happiness initiative brings together various resources to promote sustainable happiness for youth and raise awareness about the science of happiness. LG Experience Happiness partners are selected based on their use of the latest social emotional well-being research as well as positive psychology and neuroscience to implement sustainable happiness skills training:

• Discovery Education, a leader in digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, is teaming up with LG to launch the 'Discover Your Happy' virtual field trip. The immersive new initiative kicks off today and brings together experts from LG Experience Happiness partners to help students pinpoint actionable ways to sustain happiness.
• Inner Explorer, which is based on the latest scientific research in cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology, uses Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction techniques to teach youth how they can help reduce and cope with the stress they face.
• Project Happiness, which specializes in social and emotional curriculum for youth, is partnering with LG to launch High School Happiness Clubs. The program has kicked off in 10 U.S. schools using proven science-based strategies to help teens establish lifelong happiness habits.

For more information about the LG 'Experience Happiness' initiative and the six sustainable happiness skills, please visit www.LGExperienceHappiness.com.  

About Life's Good: Experience Happiness
Aiming to enrich the lives of 5.5 million youth in the United States over the next five years, LG Electronics USA has launched a unique new corporate social responsibility initiative called "Life's Good: Experience Happiness." Happiness skills can be learned, according to the Greater Good Science Center at University of California Berkeley, which has identified six skills that sustain one's ability to recognize that life's good: mindfulness, human connection, positive outlook, purpose, generosity and gratitude. LG's science-based platform is designed to engage leading non-profit partners such as Inner Explorer and Project Happiness who help equip American youth with the skills for sustainable happiness. www.LGExperienceHappiness.com

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $55 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions in the United States, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. www.lg.com.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education's services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

About the Greater Good Science Center
The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley, is at the forefront of the scientific movement to explore the roots of happiness, compassion, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior. Called by The New York Times "the epicenter for research on happiness and gratitude," the GGSC sponsors groundbreaking research and helps people apply this research to their personal and professional lives. https://ggsc.berkeley.edu

About Inner Explorer™
Inner Explorer was developed in 2011 by mindful awareness teachers with more than 30 years of combined experience. Understanding the difficulty in developing a daily practice, Inner Explorer created  a technology platform, delivering audio-guided practices to teachers and students, giving them the opportunity to practice together, reducing stress, improving academic performance and enhancing the school climate. This unprecedented offering simplifies the implementation of mindfulness in the classroom and supports the national initiative called 2-Generation Approach by bridging the classroom and home. Inner Explorer encourages families to join in the daily practices with their children, extending the health and wellbeing benefits into the community. www.InnerExplorer.org

About Project Happiness™
Project Happiness was created to address the growing epidemic of stress by providing science-based programs and strategies for schools and its online community of over 3 million people. The non-profit organization creates content including curriculum and books for elementary, middle and high school, online courses for adults, and a widely popular film with guests such as Richard Gere and the Dalai Lama. Project Happiness CEO Randy Taran says that "Happiness is not just a state; it's something you can learn." www.ProjectHappiness.org.

www.LG.com

www.LGExperienceHappiness.com

^[1] http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx

SOURCE LG Electronics USA

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