Yale’s Laurie Santos, a psychologist who explores the science of well-being in her popular podcast The Happiness Lab, is teaming up with a group of familiar characters who have brought joy to generations of children.
On Sept. 18, Santos will be joined by Grover, Big Bird, and Abby Cadabby, three members of the beloved children’s show Sesame Street, for the first in a three-part podcast series on how families can improve their emotional well-being and feel happier.
Santos, who five years ago launched “Psychology and the Good Life,” a wildly popular course that enrolled more than 1,000 Yale College students — and who this year launched an online version of the class for teenagers — hopes the new series will offer similar evidence-based happiness tips with younger students.
The three-part series — which features tips on regulating emotions, cultivating happier mindsets, and developing more positive self-talk — is aimed at young children and their parents, she said.
“The tips we share in the podcast can help listeners of all ages,” said Santos, a professor of psychology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “They’re relevant whether you’re aged 3 or 103.”
Her online course for teens, “The Science of Well-Being for Teens,” which was introduced earlier this year, has enrolled nearly 110,000 participants.
Last spring, Santos joined the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces Sesame Street, as it announced a new organization-wide focus on the emotional well-being of young children and their families. The announcement was shared in a live conversation that featured Elmo, Steve Youngwood, CEO of the Sesame Workshop, and Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice president and chief production and creative development officer for the Sesame Workshop.
The new three-episode series of The Happiness Lab will be available on iHeartPodcasts, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever podcasts are streamed. Pushkin+ subscribers will be able to binge the mini-series on the very first day.