LG 'Experience Happiness' Initiative Grows

'Project Happiness' Joins LG's U.S. CSR Program to Reduce Youth Stress by Teaching Skills that Drive Happiness

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Feb 22, 2018, 08:28 ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On the path to help equip 5.5 million American youth with the skills for sustainable happiness, LG Electronics USA is joining forces with "Project Happiness," a respected non-profit whose mission aligns with the unique new LG social responsibility initiative called "Life's Good: Experience Happiness."

This partnership will establish the framework for a new high school program called the Happiness Club. The pilot program is kicking off in 10 high schools across the United States this semester. The schools participating in this initial program were selected based on their enthusiasm, creativity, need and commitment. The clubs will lay the foundations for teens to learn the happiness skills during the most stressed time of their life.

"The Life's Good: Experience Happiness initiative represents so much more than bringing renewed meaning and purpose to the LG brand," said William Cho, president and CEO, LG Electronics North America. "Bringing much-needed happiness skills to youth across America with Project Happiness and other leaders in the science of happiness is what this is all about."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents age 12-17 in the U.S. And new research from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America shows that one in four children are affected by anxiety disorders; these youth are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences and engage in substance abuse.

The Happiness Clubs will use activities and strategies from the Project Happiness curriculum and handbook to help youth build happiness habits for life. The materials have been used in over 120 countries and are science-based, drawing on aspects of positive psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, and social and emotional learning.

"The purpose of Happiness Clubs is to create a culture that supports people," said Randy Taran, Founder of Project Happiness, "rather than a culture that tears them down: where authenticity and individual strengths are celebrated rather than scorned, and where kids can make the choice to listen to their inner friend, rather than their inner critic, and develop emotional resilience along with grit."

A primary focus of the new Life's Good: Experience Happiness platform is driving positive change in lives across America with the goal of equipping 5.5 million youth with happiness skills over the next five years. 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.

The new partnership with Project Happiness exemplifies how the Life's Good Experience Happiness platform is expanding with a focus on increasing the number of youth impacted each year. This partnership complements LG's work with Inner Explorer, another leading organization that brings science and mindfulness-based social emotional learning curriculum to U.S. schools. LG has also launched www.LGExperienceHappiness.com, a website dedicated to highlighting the work of its partner organizations, while increasing awareness that happiness skills are a learnable skill set for youth and adults alike.

About Project Happiness
Founded in 2009, Project Happiness is a non-profit based in Cupertino, Calif. Project Happiness aims to teach people how to develop happiness strategies for life. The organization has a 3 million strong following on social media, produced a widely-popular film in 2011 with guests such as Richard Gere and the Dalai Lama, and has written and distributed thousands of Happiness Handbooks and Curriculum for all ages. Project Happiness CEO Randy Taran says that "Happiness is not just a state. It's something you can learn."

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.

SOURCE LG Electronics USA