For students and early-career practitioners
You do not need a budget to begin.
You need a first step.
Start with a free lesson, read the Observatory, come to the Summit, volunteer at a Fest. When you are ready for the certification path, it will still be here.
- World Happiness Academy, an initiative of the Foundation
- One free lesson, no payment
- Open research in the Observatory
- Six languages across the platform
- Volunteer roles across the movement
Where students get stuck
The gap between interest and entry.
The certification costs more than you have
So the honest answer is: start with the free material and the community, and enrol when it makes sense.
You cannot tell what the field even is
Transpersonal work, happiness science and public policy overlap. The guides on this site map them.
No practice, no experience, no way in
Volunteering at a Fest or an Agora is the fastest real experience most people find.
How to start
Four things you can do this week, free.
None of these ask for a card. They ask for attention.
01
Take the free lesson
The first week of Level 1 material, with a reflection prompt.
02
Read the Observatory
The Foundation's open research and measurement work.
03
Come to the Summit
The Gross Global Happiness Summit gathers the field once a year.
04
Volunteer
Fests and Agoras run on people. Volunteering is real experience, not filler.
Where to start
Four free doors.
One lesson, free
The first week of the coaching path, with the practice and a reflection.
Start freeGross Global Happiness Summit
The annual gathering of the happiness and wellbeing field.
See the SummitThe Observatory
Open research, measurement and reports you can cite.
Open the ObservatoryGet involved
Volunteer, host an Agora, or join the community.
See the ways in
Questions students ask first
Is there a discount or scholarship?
Write to us and say what you can carry and why the work matters to you. We answer every note honestly rather than publishing a promise we cannot keep.
Do I need a degree to enrol?
No. Level 1 is open to people at the start of the path as well as to practising coaches.
Can I cite the Observatory in my thesis?
Yes. The Observatory's reports are published to be read and cited; each carries its own source and date.
Can I volunteer remotely?
Some roles are remote and some are on-site at a Fest or Agora. Tell us where you are and what you can offer.
Which language is everything in?
The platform is available in six languages; live sessions run in English on Tuesdays and Spanish on Wednesdays.
What if I want to enrol later?
The enrolment page always shows the current levels, plans and instalments. Nothing here expires on you.
Talk to the Academy
Tell us where you are.
Studying, volunteering, changing career — say what you are looking for and we will point you at the honest next step.
- · No payment is needed to ask a question.
- · Your note reaches the Academy team by email.
- · We reply in the language you write in.
Vozes dos programas
O que dizem as Happytalistas depois de percorrer o caminho.
Palavras validadas de coaches, profissionais e Chief Well-Being Officers que participaram dos nossos programas, Fests e retiros.
Before engaging with the World Happiness Foundation, I often treated well-being as something separate from performance. The program helped me see that people do their best work when meaning, trust, and humanity are built into the way we lead. That insight changed both my coaching conversations and the results my clients pursue.
Executive Coach|United States
GGH helped me connect dots I had previously treated as separate: personal awareness, team culture, organizational design, and social impact. Seeing the whole system changed the way I diagnose challenges and the kind of solutions I am willing to build.
Organizational Strategist|Belgium
The Foundation gave me language for something I had felt for years: real transformation begins inside, but it cannot end there. I now help leaders connect personal awareness with the cultures and communities they influence. My work feels deeper, more courageous, and more useful.
Leadership Coach|Canada
The program moved happiness from the edge of my leadership agenda to the center of how I think about progress. I began evaluating decisions not only by what they deliver, but by the human experience they create along the way.
Senior Leader|Austria
I came looking for new coaching tools and found a much larger invitation - to accompany people toward lives of purpose, connection, and contribution. The program expanded my practice while reminding me why I became a coach in the first place.
Professional Coach|Mexico
GGH gave me a coherent framework for work that had sometimes felt fragmented. I can now help clients connect individual practices with leadership behavior, cultural conditions, and measurable organizational priorities. The result is a more credible and lasting approach.
Well-Being Consultant|Czechia
As citações são publicadas na íntegra, no idioma em que foram dadas.
Begin with one lesson and one honest hour.
The free lesson, the Observatory, the Summit and the community are open to you today.