Fred Rogers, the beloved television personality from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, spent his career teaching empathy and compassion to an entire generation of children. Now, another Latrobe native is carrying that spirit into Pittsburgh high schools.
Blake Colaianne, a researcher at Penn State's Prevention Research Center, hosted the first Summit on Flourishing in Adolescence at the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State on May 1. The event brought together principals, teachers and counselors from 10 Pittsburgh-area high schools with one goal: to recruit schools to offer a new course called 'The Science of Human Connection.' Colaianne said he had hoped at least half of the schools would sign on. All 10 expressed interest.
The course is a semester-long social science elective built around the science of human flourishing and social connection - and it couldn't come at a better time. Students today are navigating the rise of AI (artificial intelligence), a loneliness epidemic and deep uncertainty about the future.
"As we enter the world of AI, we are going to need human capacities and skills, like human connection and compassion," Colaianne said.
Four pillars of flourishing
The course is built around what researchers call the "four pillars of flourishing": awareness, insight, connection and purpose. Colaianne says research has shown these are trainable skills, and ones that employers are increasingly seeking in today's workforce. Awareness helps students pause, focus and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Insight supports them in recognizing habitual patterns so they can make more intentional choices. Connection places relationships at the center of well-being - a theme that runs throughout the entire course. And purpose encourages students to explore their values and strengths, while considering how they can contribute to the world around them.
Crucially, Colaianne isn't arriving at schools with a one-size-fits-all curriculum. He plans to work alongside teachers to customize the class to fit their specific communities and needs.
"Blake brings this participatory community engagement mindset and approach, and that's really different than most school-based programs," said James DiPerna, a Penn State professor of education who spoke at the summit about engaging in collaborative research to build a strong evidence base for the course. "Often it's the academic bringing a packaged sales pitch with something that's already built. What Blake's proposing is about what you want and how can we make it fit in your world."
Students were also part of building the class from the ground up. Colaianne and Penn State Instructor Gaby Winqvist co-designed 'The Science of Human Connection' with input from high school students - who even came up with the name of the class.
A student's perspective
Emma Durant, a rising Penn State senior who took the college-level version of the course, "The Art and Science of Human Flourishing," spoke at the summit about how it changed her life.
"The biggest thing I took away from the class is that resilience requires relationships," Durant said. "It taught me that we are all interdependent. I want friends who will be with me through thick and thin, and it's my job to build that with the people around me."
That resilience helped Durant weather a significant disappointment - being unable to do a semester abroad she had long planned for, she said.
Durant urged school administrators to treat flourishing as a core life skill, on par with practical subjects like personal finance or career planning.
"Learning about the science of human connection is just as important for building that foundation," she said.
Bringing families into the picture
The program extends beyond the classroom. Greg Fosco, professor of human development and family studies, spoke at the summit about the role families play in student flourishing. His team is developing take-home materials that schools can distribute to all students - not just those enrolled in the elective - so that the conversations sparked in class can continue at home.
"At school, your kids get exposed to really inspiring things during the school day, and they may want to come home and talk about it," Fosco said. "That's an amazing opportunity that a parent can be on the lookout for and have a nice conversation and provide encouragement."
Fosco's research focuses on the ways families can promote positive well-being in youth - and he said that the moments when students are most open to those conversations can be fleeting. The take-home materials are designed to help parents recognize and make the most of those windows, whether a student comes home energized by something they learned, navigating a difficult social situation, or thinking through big questions about their future.
Fosco said he sees families as an essential piece of the puzzle - and the materials as a way to help families to support their student's well-being.
A full-circle moment
For Colaianne, working with Pittsburgh schools carries personal meaning. Hailing from Latrobe, he said he has long felt a kinship with fellow Latrobe native Fred Rogers. As the event was starting, Colaianne glanced up and spotted his hometown hero.
"I looked up at the mural and there was Mister Rogers," he said.
The Grable Foundation, which focuses on student well-being and families in southwestern Pennsylvania, provided funding for the summit and the development of the class. The foundation has published work drawing on Mister Rogers' philosophy, including his belief that "when you wonder, you're learning" - a spirit that Colaianne said seems designed to carry his work forward.
"One of the principals who attended the summit emailed me, and the way he put it was, 'scholarship and practice are finally coming together in a really innovative way,'" Colaianne said.
