The LOVE Course
Presented by Steve Banno Jr., M.Ed
Each Session Stands Alone ~
Save When You Register for Both
Session 1
Saturday, April 11 ~ 1pm-2:30pm
Session One: Self-Love and the Science of Human Flourishing and Happiness
What if happiness isn’t an accident—but a skill you can learn, practice, and grow with intention? As psychologist Carl Rogers reminds us, “The good life is a process, not a state of being.”
Rooted in decades of psychological research—beyond the noise of the self-help industry—and sourced from over two decades of classroom alchemy from Steve’s Love Course, this immersive workshop invites you to see flourishing not as luck, but as a learnable way of living. You’ll discover that meaning, love, gratitude, accomplishment, and growth all arise from intentional habits that can be cultivated every single day.
In this experiential introduction, you’ll not only explore the science of human happiness—you’ll feel it. Through reflective, evidence-based practices, you’ll experience what it’s like to grow happiness deliberately, skillfully, and joyfully—for yourself and for others.
What You’ll Experience:
Learn how happiness strengthens like a muscle—through consistent, intentional actions that build wellbeing from the inside out.
Explore micro-practices, powerful stories, and key insights drawn from over two decades of science-based teaching and lived experience.
Engage in energizing, hands-on activities that spark connection, compassion, and meaning—so joy isn’t just an idea, but an experience.
Deepen your resilience and self-worth through evidence-based habits that remind you: “I matter, and what I do matters.
Session 2
Saturday, April 25 ~ 1pm-2:30pm
Session Two: Other-Centered Love and the Science of Compassion, Kindness, and Altruism
This workshop invites you to do something brave and beautiful: connect your intellect with your heart and step into the kind of goodness you most believe in. Imagine bold, courageous aspirations for others and yourself—no status quo, no small dreams. Let’s no longer wish for it. Let’s work for it.
Inspired by Amanda Gorman’s reminder that “there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it,” this session is an energetic, highly interactive journey into kindness, empathy, and moral courage. Guided by Steve’s 30 years in the classroom and research from various academic disciplines, you will laugh, reflect, share, and test the limits of your own compassion and altruistic proclivities.
You won’t just hear about kindness—you’ll practice it. Through powerful stories, research-infused insights, and hands-on activities, you’ll experience what happens when we open our hearts to the world, to others, and to ourselves. You’ll explore “habits of heart” (empathy, compassion, gratitude, respect) and “habits of character” (courage, responsibility, integrity) that help face a complex world with hope, agency, and purpose.
What You’ll Experience:
This workshop is for anyone tired of cynicism and hungry for possibility and hope.
You will leave with concrete practices to build belonging and connection, tools to activate kindness and altruism at scale in your community, and a renewed faith in the positive possibilities of human nature.
How to ignite "habits of heart" and "habits of character”.
Meet the Presenter:
Steve Banno Jr., M.Ed.
Steve Banno Jr. is an award-winning educator, author, consultant, and speaker with over 30 years of experience exploring what makes life meaningful. Blending positive psychology, human development, and philosophy, his work centers on empowering people, teens, and organizations to proliferate well-being, benevolence, kindness, and happiness in their work and daily lives.
In 2005, Steve created one of the nation’s first high school courses on happiness and altruism, The Love Course: Exploring the Art of Living. He is the author of Teaching What Matters: Activating Happiness, Kindness, and Altruism (2022), distilling wellbeing science into practical tools and strategies for educators, organizations, adults, and youth. He is the co-author of Remaking Athletics to Transform Lives (2024), which redefines athletics beyond wins and losses to foster life skills drawing from sport psychology, positive psychology, and SEL research.
Steve’s work has brought him to San Antonio, Texas, Stillwater, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Colorado, New York City, and throughout New England. His workshops and keynotes inspire students, educators, individuals, and organizations to live with balance, compassion, and intention—creating ripples of positive change in communities everywhere.
The investment in one session of The LOVE Course is $35.
($30 for Sangha Unlimited Members)
The investment for both sessions is $65. ($55 for Sangha Unlimited Members)