The Psychology of Happiness: Science, Wellbeing & Human Flourishing

• Examine major theories and research findings in positive psychology

• Explore gratitude, purpose, motivation, relationships, mindfulness, and resilience

• Evaluate scientific evidence behind common well-being practices and claims

• Challenge popular misconceptions about happiness, resilience, and human flourishing

• Use reflective journaling to examine values, relationships, and goals

• Test selected evidence-based strategies through guided experiential activities

• Communicate psychological concepts using evidence and critical reasoning

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain major concepts and research findings in positive psychology

• Evaluate evidence supporting strategies for well-being and resilience

• Apply and reflect on selected practices without overstating their effects

Students leave with a collection of research-informed reflections, stronger psychological literacy, and clearer direction about psychology, neuroscience, public health, education, or human development.

Positive psychology asks students to evaluate well-being with the same care used to study other human behavior. Research helps distinguish a promising practice from a universal claim and reveals how relationships, purpose, motivation, environment, and individual differences can shape results.

Reflection adds another form of disciplined thinking. Students connect evidence with their own observations while recognizing that one experience does not prove a general rule. These habits strengthen psychological literacy, self-awareness, and responsible communication. They are useful in psychology, neuroscience, education, public health, counseling, leadership, and human development.

This academy is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are interested in psychology, neuroscience, behavior, well-being, resilience, relationships, motivation, education, or public health. It suits students who want to examine happiness scientifically while also reflecting on personal values and experience.

Participants should be ready to read and discuss research, question popular assumptions, join experiential activities, keep reflective notes, and communicate conclusions carefully. No prior psychology background is stated as a requirement. Openness to evidence, reflection, and perspectives different from one's own will support meaningful participation.

Moosilauke Ravine Lodge is Dartmouth’s historic mountain lodge in the White Mountains. Students sleep in shared bunkhouses with round-the-clock residential supervision. Each bunk has a mattress and pillow, and each student has a designated space for belongings. Students bring their own bedding; a sleeping bag works well. There are no private rooms.

Shared bathrooms are centrally located, with sinks, toilets and showers, and lodge staff clean them regularly. There is no Wi-Fi or cell service. Dartmouth students and recent alumni run the lodge and offer informal mentorship throughout the stay.

Free time can include spikeball, frisbee or soccer on the field, reading or music on the screened-in porch, gathering around the fire pit or wading in the river. Evenings may include movie nights, contra dancing or an ice cream trip to nearby Lincoln. Sharing space, following common expectations and relying on one another make communal living part of the experience.

Based on students surveyed in the Dartmouth Precollege Summer Scholars program (2026)

Moosilauke Ravine Lodge is Dartmouth’s historic mountain lodge, and it is intentionally rustic. Students sleep in shared bunkhouses supervised around the clock by residential staff. Each bunk comes with a mattress and pillow, and students should bring their own bedding; a sleeping bag works well. Each student has a designated space for their belongings, and there are no private rooms.

Bathrooms are shared and centrally located, with multiple sinks, toilets, and showers, and the lodge staff clean them regularly. There is no wifi or cell service at the lodge, so students spend the week fully present with their group and their surroundings.

The lodge is run by Dartmouth students and recent alumni, who offer informal mentorship throughout the stay. In free time, students can play spikeball, frisbee, or soccer on the lodge field, read or play music on the screened-in porch, gather around the fire pit, or wade in the river. Evenings may include movie nights, contra dancing, or an ice cream trip to nearby Lincoln.

This is simple, communal living, and it fits the program’s goals well: students learn the most about how they work with others when they share space, follow shared expectations, and rely on each other.