DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.—At a time of physical distancing and unanticipated new stressors, young people are seeking positive relationships and stronger connections. LG Electronics USA has signed on to support Be Strong’s mission to educate, encourage, engage, and mobilize students—about 3,000 across all 50 states and growing—for increased mental wellbeing. The partnership, through LG’s “Experience Happiness” corporate social responsibility initiative, focuses on recruiting Be Strong student leaders and developing social and emotional skills to be learned, practiced, and shared, increasing students’ capacity to face life’s challenges.
“In the midst of an isolating global pandemic, mental health and emotional wellness are a major concern. Our social-emotional, wellbeing program leverages the science of happiness and recognizes that practicing six happiness skills can help change mindsets to better process stress and anxiety while building resilience,” said John I. Taylor, Senior Vice President at LG Electronics USA. “We’re pleased to help Be Strong, our newest Experience Happiness partner, extend their important work through a comprehensive student-led approach.”
LG Experience Happiness Skills
Backed by 75 years of scientific research, LG Life’s Good: Experience Happiness program worked with experts in social emotional learning, education and the science of happiness to identify six happiness skills. According to UC Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center, these happiness skills can be learned.
“Practicing the six sustainable happiness skills can shift the way your brain works to create more happiness. The science of happiness can actually be learned,” said Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., Science Director at UC Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center.
The LG program already has helped more than four million students practice these six emotional wellness skills, with a goal of reaching 5.5 million American youth by 2022.
Creating Happier Holidays with Thanks & Giving
Moments of joy and happiness are becoming harder to find as families try to stay connected. By sharing the six sustainable happiness skills, Be Strong and LG are giving the gift of happiness to help brighten the holidays for families across the country this year.
“We’re encouraging kids, parents, teachers, everyone to take the happiness journey with us,” said Christine Ackerson, Director of CSR and Sustainability at LG Electronics USA. “Over the next six weeks, we’ll highlight a different happiness skill at LGExperienceHappiness/GiveHappiness with practices that can be easily integrated into everyday life. Even during these challenging times, if we all practice these simple, ‘in the moment’ skills, there will be plenty of thanks and giving throughout the holidays and beyond.”
It’s easy—participants are encouraged to share their happiness experiences using the hashtag #GiveHappiness and reshare the happiness skills with their family and friends as a free gift to build stronger and happier communities.
Program Impacts Families with Appliance Makeovers
Be Strong teamed up with LG to honor, thank and give back to six families who truly personify the happiness skills.
“We are honored to partner with LG to recognize each family and provide an entire home appliance upgrade. Just in time for Thanksgiving, these new kitchen and laundry appliances will help to simplify daily life and increase the ways in which these selfless families serve their local communities,” said Ashleigh Cromer, Executive Director of Be Strong.
One such family is Anitra W. from Louisiana. Although she lost her spouse and is a single mother of six children, Anitra exhibits unwavering generosity—one of the happiness skills. Each year Anitra makes Thanksgiving dinner and feeds the community that lines up outside her home for a free meal. Although they do not have much themselves, her entire family comes together in the kitchen, cooking big meals to serve their community.
“Now with these new LG appliances, we can feed more people! There’s always someone in need, and I will be the one to find them,” Anitra said with a humble smile.
For more information about #GiveHappiness, the six LG Experience Happiness skills and tips, as well as inspiring family appliance makeover stories, go to LGExperienceHappiness/GiveHappiness.
