January Faculty Corner: 2018 Synthesis Unit
The Art and Science of Happiness
January 29-31, 2018

The annual Anacapa Synthesis Unit is a signature element of Anacapa School’s innovative curriculum. These critical thinking units expose students to some of the brightest minds and most talented experts from Santa Barbara and beyond. Each speaker thoughtfully and generously prepares a 45-minute presentation for our students on the chosen topic of the year. The caliber of the presenters and the give-and-take between speakers and students provide an educational experience that most students won’t receive until college.

After the three days of presentations students get involved with ongoing projects, including research reports, group presentations, and a culminating student video, all of which are designed to synthesize information learned from the experts during the unit. The film students and faculty produced for the 2017 Ocean Health Synthesis Unit just earned First Place in the student documentary division of the 2017 Raw Science Film Festival Competition.  Ocean Health is a 10-minute film that reveals the condition of oceans worldwide and incorporates six core themes: garbage, over-fishing, habitat destruction, chemical pollution, warming, and acidification. Ocean Health will be shown at the Raw Science Film Festival on January 6 th at the Lobero Theater, and we will receive our First Place prize at the awards ceremony.

In September, Anacapa’s faculty chose The Art and Science of Happiness as our 2018 Synthesis Unit theme. Throughout the fall we dedicated three different Breakfast Clubs to brainstorming possible topics with students. Here is a sample of some of the topics that students are interested in exploring: self-esteem/self-acceptance, technology and happiness, laughter, movies, sports, psychology, death, living in the moment, music and happiness, brain chemistry, stress, sleep, happiness in different cultures, mental illness, traveling, friendship, free time, optimism, memories, family, purposefulness, finding a meaningful life, making the most of life, wilderness, time management/procrastination.

For our first official Synthesis Unit activity of the year, Anacapa students, teachers, and parents attended Emily Esfahani Smith’s inspiring lecture, The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness, at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on November 30 th . Special thanks goes to John Luca for making all of the thoughtful arrangements for this extra-curricular activity, which launched this year’s unit. Emily has generously agreed to Skype with us from her home in DC on January 30 th to further discuss the lecture topics, allowing our students to continue the habit of asking in-depth questions. In fact, after the lecture two of our students, an 8 th and 9 th grader, courageously asked Emily excellent questions in the crowded Campbell Hall setting, exemplifying Anacapa’s power to cultivate critical thinking in its students. ASKING QUESTIONS is one of Anacapa’s experiential education hallmarks. Since Emily’s lecture, and as planning for the “ Happiness” unit progresses, topics such as meaningfulness and purpose have taken center stage.

Being housebound for seven days, as a result of the Thomas Fire, turned out to be an unexpected opportunity to spend plenty of time diving deep into assorted books, resources and web sites to find leads for possible speakers. Along the way, I found some amazing online resources, a few of which I’d like to share with everyone.

The Blue Zones Project

November 2017 National Geographic Magazine features Happiness

Project Wayfinder

Project Wayfinder’s Suggested Media Resources

I am pleased to report that representatives from both The Blue Zones Project and Project Wayfinder have signed up to be presenters for the “Happiness” unit . However, we still have a number of speaker slots to fill. I hope this Faculty Corner report generates some ideas from you for possible speakers, and I welcome your suggestions.

In 1994, on behalf of Anacapa School, I received the “George Washington Medal” from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge for our Synthesis Units and their role in developing citizenship. The medal now hangs in the Anacapa office. Synthesis Units continue to progress in their power to prepare students to be become citizens of the world. The Art and Science of Happiness has the potential to be a real life changer.

Thanks to everyone for supporting our Anacapa Synthesis Unit tradition over the many years!

Gordon Sichi