www.PositivityMatters.org
Omaha Celebrates the International Day of Happiness!
www.PositivityMatters.org/HappinessOmaha2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025
8:30am – 8:00pm
UNO Thompson Alumni Center
6705 Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68182
Free and open to the public.
Sponsors:
UNO Office of Engagement
UNO Department of English
Many parking spots will not require a parking permit on the day of the event.*
Social media event links: Facebook | LinkedIn
Please consider doing several acts of kindness, taking a moment to write a short anonymous note about each act of kindness, and bringing your reflections to this event for a kindness idea exchange. Imagine each kind act as a seed of happiness for yourself and others and as fertilizer for your future kindness. More details about this kindness project: www.positivitymatters.org/seedsofkindness
Agenda:
8:30am Doors open
9:00-9:50am Mentoring and Leadership: Presentations + Dialogue
- Servant Leadership – Stephen Linenberger
- From Mentoring to Community Building – Lindsay Hastings
Break
10:00-10:50am Hope: Presentations + Panel
- ACTions for Hope – Megan Pendley
- Hope Champions Network – Suzi Yokley-Busby
- Hope Sharing – Jeff Slater
Break
11:00-11:50am Challenge and Change
- Building Toughness Through Challenge and Affection – Richard Dienstbier
- Alternatives to Violence Project – Suzanne King
Break
12:00-12:25pm World Happiness Report – TBA
Break
12:30-12:55pm Connection and
Break
1:00-1:50pm Culture and a Flourishing Community: Presentations + Panel
- Hope, Culture, and Belonging – Dorothy Johnson
- Partner Dance and Collective Effervescence – Nadria Beale
- Journalism, Cartooning, Music, and Radio – Jeff Koterba
Break
2:00-2:50pm Kindness: Presentations + Panel
- Secret Kindness Agents – Ferial Pearson
- Positive Psychology in the Community – Lisa Scherer
- Kind Heroes – Ari Kohen
Break
3:00-3:50 Fostering Friendship, Happiness, and Thriving Places
- Virtue, Friendship, and the Good Life – Richard White
- Agrihoods & Gross National Happiness – Sabastian Hunt
- The Gifford Park neighborhood – Chris Foster and Martin Janousek
Break
4:00-4:50pm Connection and Wellness and School and Work: Presentations + Panel
- Pairr – Ayan Hussein
- Wellness Teams – TBA
- The Seasonal Movement – Ruben Gomez
- Appreciating Teachers – Kimberly Bailey
Break
5:00-5:20pm The Story of a Friendship – Chris McCroy and Markee Ballard
Break
Join or Die – a documentary about Robert Putnam and his research on social capital, a foundational element of thriving communities.
- 5:30-6:15pm 1st half of Join or Die
- 6:15-6:30 Intermission
- 6:30-7:30 2nd half of Join or Die
- 7:30pm Live video conversation with Rebecca Davis, a co-director of Join or Die
The directors of this film have kindly granted us permission to hold this public showing of their work.
In alignment with the third Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Well-Being, the United Nations began marking March 20th as the International Day of Happiness in 2013. The www.WorldHappiness.Report is released every year on March 20th.
*UNO is on Spring Break (Student Holiday) during the day of the event (https://events.unomaha.edu/event/spring-break). A parking permit is not required to park in general use stalls on holidays. Areas that are excluded include reserved stalls, ADA stalls, visitor stalls, EV charging stalls, pay-to-park timed lots (Lots A,C, and the seven (7) designated stalls in Lot M), drive aisles, and fire lanes. These areas are enforced 24/7 (www.unomaha.edu/business-and-finance/support-services/parking-services/faq.php#permits).
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