Robert Emmons, the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude, sees gratitude "as a relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we've been supported and affirmed by other people." He says gratitude has two components:
	- An affirmation of goodness 
	- Recognizing the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves

Emmons goes on to tell us that regularly expressing gratitude has a transformative effect on us. Among its many benefits include:
	- Stronger immune systems
	- More optimism and happiness
	- More helpful, generous, and compassionate
	- More forgiving
	- More outgoing
	- Feel less lonely and isolated

With this in mind, this ongoing class will provide students the opportunity to regularly express gratitude. The structure of each session is simple:
	- We will check in to help everyone feel acknowledged
	- We will watch a 5 minute video called "A Grateful Day" to calm and warm us
	- We will take time to speak of things in our lives for which we feel gratitude

As an ongoing class, students can participate once or multiple times. While each session of this class has essentially the same structure, each will be unique because of the people present & the new experiences the students are having in their lives, the growing ability of the returning students to express gratitude, the influx of students new to the group, and each week's session having a theme.  

As an example, themes could be based on one of our five senses (Express Gratitude for Something You Can See, Smell, Taste, Hear or Touch). And because we receive multiple experiences through our senses, these themes could be repeated without it feeling repetitious.

This activity is also set up with a 5-year age range to help children learn to appreciate and respect others outside of their age and the cost is kept low to encourage participation.

While the conversation in this class is English, it is also ESL friendly, appropriate for CEFR: A2, B1, B2, and beyond. Having learners from different countries and backgrounds helps expand our opportunities to connect with and respect others.