Canadore College Shares Sustainable Happiness Initiatives at Global Summit
Canadore College’s Purposeful Living Project was recently featured at the Gross Global Happiness Summit in Costa Rica, where Canadore employees delivered a workshop highlighting the initiative’s focus on purpose-driven learning and well-being in educational settings.
The summit was hosted at the University for Peace, an academic institution established by the United Nations dedicated to advancing education in peace, sustainability, and global leadership. The session provided an opportunity to share Canadore’s work with an international audience and contribute to discussions on fostering well-being within learning environments.
“Attending the conference was a meaningful opportunity to join a global conversation on purpose, happiness, and human flourishing,” said Jesse Russell, Project Leader, Living Sustainability Centre at Canadore College. “We were grateful to share our work while also learning from a diverse group of speakers. The insights gained will help strengthen and inform how we expand on this work moving forward.”
The workshop highlighted the Sustainable Happiness Certificate and engaged participants from around the world representing a wide range of professional, cultural, and academic backgrounds. Through interactive and collaborative activities, attendees worked in groups to explore complex global challenges, deepening their understanding of interconnection, group dynamics, and the concept of genuine wealth.
“This peaceful, nature-immersed environment amplified discussions about the importance of connections and relationships, making the experience both intellectually stimulating and restorative. I was proud to represent Canada as a guest of Canadore College,” said Chris Adam, recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for pioneering the “living campus” concept.
The session also explored a growing body of research linking staff well-being and meaningful connections with nature to positive organizational outcomes. Participants discussed how fostering happiness and well-being in the workplace can support increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, stronger employee retention, and higher levels of job satisfaction.
A key theme that emerged during the discussion was the recognition that many of the primary drivers of genuine wealth and overall well-being are deeply interconnected and often stem from common underlying factors—particularly the importance of cultivating positive relationships with ourselves, with others, and with the natural world.
The Sustainable Happiness Certificate, offered through the Purposeful Living Project, is available through Canadore College in person, online, and in Costa Rica at Canadore’s Farm 17 campus in Providencia de Dota. More information about the program is available through Canadore here
