“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
--Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776
Taking What Matters Seriously
The Happiness Initiative is a national project offering tools and resources to communities and individuals seeking to enhance their well-being. Its mission is to work for a just, healthy and resilient society where all people have the opportunity to pursue happiness.
The Eau Claire Happiness Initiative (www.eauclairehappiness.com) uses the tools and resources developed and provided by The Happiness Initiative to provide the same benefits our region.
Join the Eau Claire
Take our survey
Clear Vision Eau Claire is working with the City and County of Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the Chippewa Valley Technical College, the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations to encourage local participation in the online happiness survey and to create opportunities for community dialogue about well-being in the greater Eau Claire community.
The point of the Eau Claire Happiness Initiative is to understand what is really important in our lives. It begins with a survey that measures both individuals and groups in ten different critical life areas. It leads to empowered communities of people who are positioned to make changes in their personal lives as well as work collectively with other groups to make our community a better place for all.
View Frequently Asked Questions [PDF, .06 MB]
Past research has established that several aspects of life are essential for happiness and the happiness initiative measures ten domains [PDF, .09 MB]:
- Psychological well-being
- Physical health
- Time balance
- Community Vitality/Social Connection
- Education and Capacity Building
- Cultural Vitality and Access to Arts & Culture
- Environmental Quality & Access to Nature
- Governance
- Material Well-Being
- Work Satisfaction
The Eau Claire Happiness Initiative assesses how we are doing in each of these areas of life. The primary measurement tool is a short (12 minute) subjective survey covering all ten key dimensions of well-being. When you complete the survey, you get your score for all ten well-being domains as well as the median for everyone who has taken the survey. Coupled with more objective indicators under each of the ten domains, the survey provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality of life on our campus, in our community and in our county.
Anyone can join the Eau Claire Happiness Initiative. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, staff member or citizen. The process is flexible and need not be complicated. We encourage you to collaborate with others. These collaborative efforts can be as simple as having a class, group of coworkers, a neighborhood, a nonprofit organization, a business, a faith-based group or a group of friends take the survey.
After the survey, the goal would be to discuss the results, asking questions like, “How might our society be different if our goal is the pursuit of happiness rather than simply the expansion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?” or “What can we do individually and collectively to have an impact on areas where we would like to be happier?” The Eau Claire Happiness Initiative encourages participants to explore more deeply their fundamental values: Why are they doing what they are currently engaged in? What do they really want from life? How might they actually achieve it?