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October 18, 2024

Sustainable Happiness at CEGEP: Well-Being for All | Summary of an AQPC Webinar

In the winter of 2024, Holly McIntyre, a physical education teacher at Vanier College, hosted a webinar organized by the Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC). She introduced a 2-year project funded by an ECQ grant to integrate sustainable happiness into her college community. The project involved developing a Sustainable Happiness Certificate to teach sustainable happiness to staff, faculty, and students as well as training 3 staff members as facilitators.

Originally implemented at Dawson College and recently introduced to Vanier College by Holly McIntyre, the concept of sustainable happiness presented during the webinar is highly adaptable to any college community.

In this article, I’ll share my main takeaways from the presentation, while the complete webinar recording remains available for those interested.

Recording of the webinar Sustainable Happiness at CEGEP: Well-Being for All

What is sustainable happiness?

Sustainable happiness is a concept developed by Catherine O’Brien of Cape Breton University. Catherine O’Brien defines sustainable happiness as “happiness that contributes to the well-being of an individual, a community, or the planet without exploiting other people, the environment, or future generations.”

This concept can be applied in both our personal and professional life. It’s being used to:

  • enhance the curriculum
  • bridge gaps between college services
  • enhance the college environment
  • increase personal happiness and well-being

In the webinar, Holly McIntyre illustrated sustainable happiness through the simple act of making coffee. She encouraged participants to consider every detail, including the welfare of workers and the environmental impact of the process, such as packaging choices. By choosing shade-grown, organic, and fair-trade coffee in compostable packaging, individuals can achieve personal happiness while caring for others and the planet.

Holly McIntyre explained that sustainable happiness means recognizing that we can increase our own happiness and well-being while being aware of the impact of our choices on others. Therefore, true well-being involves integrating positive psychology with sustainability.

The Sustainable Happiness Certificate

Holly McIntyre presented her project that mostly involved the implementation of the Sustainable Happiness Certificate. The 17 sustainable development goals developed by the United Nations were used as the backbone of the Sustainable Happiness Certificate. It aimed to offer the staff a way to improve their personal and professional well-being. The 24-hour certificate curriculum covers topics such as:

  • sustainability
  • positive psychology
  • well-being
  • consumer choices and habits
  • mindfulness, gratitude and appreciation
  • nature connection
  • social justice
  • eco-anxiety and hope

Throughout the certificate, participants are encouraged to reflect on the relationship between happiness and well-being. They also explore how individual pursuits of happiness can impact others and the environment.

Sustainable happiness concepts

In the webinar, Holly McIntyre gave an overview of some of the leading sustainable happiness concepts covered during the certificate. These concepts can be useful for anyone interested in implementing sustainable happiness in their college.

1. Positive psychology and well-being

Holly McIntyre presented well-being through positive psychology and education. She highlighted Martin Seligman’s (2011) model of flourishing, which includes positive emotions, engagement, relationships, purpose, and accomplishment. She also discussed Patrick Carney’s model (2015), which focuses on relationships with elements such as physical fitness, nutrition, sleep, spirituality, and resilience in school settings.

Holly reminded us that it is part of our role as teachers to promote student well-being by fostering positive emotions, engagement, and meaningful relationships in our classrooms. These elements are also essential for teacher well-being.

2. Relationships

The Sustainable Happiness Certificate encourages relationships among students, staff, and teachers to create a positive environment. Those relationships not only improve the classroom environment but also provide an environment of trust between the teacher and the students.

Holly McIntyre observed that students, particularly in their 1st year of CEGEP, often struggle to connect with peers beyond their phones, revealing the need for meaningful class interactions. Investing time in developing these connections contributes significantly to:

  • student success
  • student well-being
  • classroom dynamics

From a staff perspective, participants in the certificate program appreciated connecting with colleagues outside their usual work context. Relationships among staff members promoted empathy and a better understanding of school issues.

3. Nature connection

Holly McIntyre then emphasized the importance of nature connection in sustainable happiness. The certificate encourages participants to cultivate a relationship with nature based on the concept of biophilia, which suggests humans are inherently drawn to nature.

Holly explained that connecting with nature has many benefits, as it can:

  • reduce stress
  • improve attention
  • reduce negative behaviours
  • enhance relationships
  • strengthen the immune system
  • be used for environmental education

For example, activities like journaling to reflect on local ecosystems help us appreciate and reconnect with our natural surroundings, fostering awareness of the environmental impacts of their decisions. Taking classes outside also contributes to the health and well-being of the teacher!

4. Mindfulness, gratitude, and appreciation

In this section of the webinar, Holly highlighted mindfulness, gratitude, and appreciation as key practices in the Sustainable Happiness Certificate. Mindfulness involves being aware of the present moment without judgment, reducing stress and anxiety. Gratitude and appreciation complement mindfulness by focusing on what we already have.

These practices help manage student anxiety by grounding individuals in the present and emphasizing control over their reactions. They enhance well-being and create a positive classroom and work environment.

5. Consumer choices and habits

Another topic explored during the certificate is consumption habits and their impact on both personal well-being and sustainability.

The discussions cover various consumption habits, such as:

  • food choices
  • technology use
  • media engagement
  • waste management
  • ethical purchasing

Rather than using guilt, the approach focuses on making consumption choices that align with our well-being and their broader impact on the planet.

For instance, Holly McIntyre presented how choices like reducing meat consumption or opting for sustainable fashion can positively influence both personal health and environmental sustainability.

Living Campus

The idea of a Living Campus was developed at Dawson College and has expanded into other school settings.

The Living Campus sees the campus as a living lab where all aspects of the college become learning opportunities. The campus is interconnected with local, global, and natural communities, and all employees and students are co-learning.

One example of a Living Campus at Vanier College is the Vanier Gardens, which is used as a space to teach various disciplines, whether it is history, biology, or physics.

Living Campus is guided by sustainability principles and contributes to well-being for all, so it goes hand in hand with the concept of sustainable happiness.

Student mental health

Holly concluded the webinar by addressing the mental health challenges faced by college students, particularly eco-anxiety and its broader implications for well-being. Eco-anxiety, defined as anxiety related to ecological crises, affects many students nowadays.

Sustainable happiness offers a constructive framework for addressing these issues by encouraging students to find joy in relationships, nature, mindfulness, exercises, and meaningful activities. Participation in action projects is a recognized way to realize we can make changes while addressing eco-anxiety.

Sustainable happiness also positively affects teacher well-being, particularly through outdoor teaching, which reduces stress, improves health due to better air quality, and decreases noise. Teaching outside also strengthens relationships with students and colleagues, enhances curriculum relevance by connecting it to real-world contexts, and fosters a connection with nature.

To conclude, Holly McIntyre’s presentation on sustainable happiness was undeniably inspiring. I now wonder how I can promote student well-being in my classroom. How can I enable my students to flourish? How can I encourage positive emotions, engagement and meaningful relationships?

My brain is boiling with ideas about how to implement the concept of sustainable happiness into my language courses. What about you? How do you promote sustainable happiness at your college? Can you envision ways to integrate this concept into your discipline? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

About the author

Véronique Drolet

After teaching English as a second language and English Language Arts at the secondary level for 16 years, Véronique Drolet has recently joined the college network. She is currently an English teacher at Cégep Limoilou. In addition, her strong interest in languages led her to complete a certificate in translation. Passionate about the pedagogical integration of digital technology, she is now part of the Eductive team as a technopedagogic editor.

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