There are many important life questions that traditional schooling seems to skip over or breeze past, and one of those might be: “what do we value in life?” Many nations value their economic progress and measure it as Gross National Product. Some nations have chosen to value other aspects of society than economics, such as good governance or cultural preservation through Gross National Happiness. According to the measurement of Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica is the happiest country on the planet, with high marks in perceived well being, life expectancy, and sustainability. How do these different measurements reflect different value systems, and what do they really measure?

 

Students will experience what millions of travelers aim for on their trips to Costa Rica: a glimpse of pura vida. By engaging with nature, yoga, sustainability, music, surfing, and other activities, they will become their own test subjects in an attempt to quantify the impact on their well being in a region known for its unusually high life expectancy. Through this personal engagement, students will also consider the lessons of pura vida that could be realistically implemented in their own home regions.