We have found America’s first “happiness school.”
Located in the Miami Design District of South Florida, the newly-opened Centner Academy aims to prioritize happiness and emotional intelligence in its customized learning environment.
Philanthropists, David and Leila Centner are behind this new institution for primary school-aged children who will benefit from a project-based approach.
A happy child is a successful child, noted Mrs. Centner, who explained to the Aventura magazine that the school’s philosophy is based on the understanding that success does not lead to happiness, instead happiness is what leads to success.
We sought a reaction from distinguished educator Mrs. Collette Fuertado-Pryce, principal of St. Jago High School, which has been in the business of education since 1744, making the St. Catherine- based institution one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
“I like the idea and concept of a happy school,” said Mrs. Pryce. She feels it is important to start teaching important values and attitudes at a young age so that when students get to the high school level they won’t need to unlearn bad habits picked up along the way.
“We are a happy school,” Mrs. Pryce declared. A third of the staff at St. Jago, including Mrs. Pryce, are past students. “We don’t have all the resources that we need but we are driven by loyalty and we are happy for there is no place we would rather be.”