What happens when education leads with empathy? Nicole Bruskewitz and Henry May of CoSchool are transforming Colombia’s schools through character, healing, and connection. 🎧 Listen: pod.link/1519411454 #StoriesOfImpact #CharacterEducation #Peacebuilding #SEL

Since 2014, Edward Brooks has been educating a generation of wise thinkers and good leaders at @ox.ac.uk by cultivating traits like purpose, courage, love and hope through the TWCF supported Oxford Character Project. Read more in Greater Good Magazine. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item... 🔗

The TWCF Academic Writing Course helps professionals boost skills & increase their publication rate. 📚 We’re spotlighting alumni work—starting with Kat Schrier (Marist Univ.), whose new book chapter explores gamification & leader development. ➡️ Learn more: www.publicationacademy.org/twcf-academi...

We’re ending our week of clips from The Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition with Dylan Bastian, Primary Division Winner, whose courage helped him speak up and make his voice heard. We wish all students a courageous start to the new school year!

TeamUp is @warchilduk.bsky.social movement based intervention for young people in conflict zones that uses play, dance, and games to help children process trauma and build social connection. ⏯️ Watch the full in-depth video from @storiesofimpact.bsky.social on our blog: bit.ly/4p4glmY

To celebrate students going back to school this week, we’re sharing some inspiration from Asia Pierre, a Primary Division Finalist in the Bahamas Laws of Life Competition, who leads by example by showing respect and kindness to all.

20 years ago today, Hurricane Katrina became one of the worst natural disasters in US history. We are marking this day by sharing a @storiesofimpact.bsky.social video as we remember the survivors' inspiring determination to rebuild: bit.ly/4oYMbS1

Vashawn Johnson is a Primary Division Finalist in The Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition. 👏 Students in the competition select one of Sir John Templeton’s laws of life to write about. Vashwan’s essay talks about how creativity is meaningful in his life, & how it fosters innovation and progress.

The Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition is for Bahamian students to write about their beliefs and principles through the lens of Sir John Templeton’s Laws of Life. Adriel Moxey, a Junior Finalist, talks about how she practices self-discipline by making responsible choices.

Dr. Berry Billingsley ‪at Swansea University‬ is reimagining how classrooms engage with questions that transcend subject boundaries. On @storiesofimpact.bsky.social‬, she discusses how to equip students to explore queries on life, the universe, and existence. 🎧 bit.ly/47BzVAL

Should religion play a role in ethically guiding technology? Rabbi Zvika Krieger and host David Zvi Kalman discuss the Metaverse, how religion can lean into new technology, and connecting to a moral compass when designing new tech on the Belief in the Future podcast. 🎧 bit.ly/4lwXbTV

Have you been wondering what we've been doing in our TWCF @templetonworld.bsky.social project on animal joy? This video wonderfully produced by Richard Sergay @storiesofimpact.bsky.social explains all! www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TkY...

Launched in the summer of 2024 under the leadership of Stephen Fleming and Axel Cleeremans, the ETHOS project aims to compare the different variants of higher-order theories of consciousness through systematic empirical testing along two crucial "axes" of disagreement.

A new online quiz game, developed by TWCF grantee @joshuadgreene.bsky.social from @harvard.edu, pairs Democrats and Republicans on teams. Researchers found that gameplay can reduce negative partisanship, increase warmth, and even increase financial generosity. 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/3Jb0F0L

Loneliness is a global public health challenge, but research largely focuses on the Global North. In @psychtoday.bsky.social, TWCF grantee Hans IJzerman discusses his global initiative to understand how people experience connection, isolation, & belonging. 🔗 #[bit.ly/45d7KVS

🐋🫧 A new study from an international team of biologists including TWCF grantee Laurance Doyle from @setiinstitute.bsky.social suggests humpback whales might be intentionally blowing bubbles in circles near boats & swimmers in friendly behavior, but more research is needed. 🔗bit.ly/4l6TV1a

TWCF grantee Cory Clark from @upenn.edu surveyed scholars who had engaged in #AdversarialCollaborations; ACs often save time during peer review, result in higher-quality research, & most felt they improved understanding in their field and would try ACs again. 🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A project led by psychology professor Dr. Stephanie Denison has received more than $1.7 million CAD in funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation. Thanks to ‪University of Waterloo for sharing this - we're excited too! uwaterloo.ca/daily-bullet...

Can lawmaking keep up with the pace of our digital world? Journalist @glichfield.bsky.social joins host David Zvi Kalman to discuss the challenges governments face in responding to rapid technological change, and how this is mirrored in organized religion on the Belief in the Future podcast.

Many households across the world turn to informal suppliers for water - this network of microentrepreneurs have huge potential to contribute to universal access to water, with local and flexible services. A TWCF funded study examined models for integrating them into the water sector in Abidjan.

We’re looking for a Grant Compliance Associate to help ensure excellence in how we support global projects advancing human flourishing. 📍 Remote-friendly. 🌍 Bahamian citizens or persons with the right-to-work only. 🔗 Apply: www.templetonworldcharity.org/about-us/our...

What makes a question too big for the classroom? Dr. Berry Billingsley shares how blending science and religion invites deeper curiosity and why asking better questions shapes a richer kind of learning. 🎧 pod.link/1519411454 #StoriesOfImpact #Education #BigQuestions #HumanFlourishing

New research challenges the idea that autistic individuals are unable to share information effectively. TWCF grantee Catherine Cromption @uoe-sps.bsky.social found that autistic and non-autistic groups were able to communicate the same amount of information & mixed groups also performed similarly.

A TWCF funded study from @durham-university.bsky.social has found that chimpanzees comfort each other when in distress, showing human-like behaviors including embracing, hand-holding, and touching, despite typically being considered unempathetic or violent. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What is "spiritual expertise" and does it help individuals and societies flourish? Anthropologist @annaicorwin.bsky.social shares insights from her TWCF funded 3-year study on ""religious intelligence"" across 4 different cultures in this episode of @storiesofimpact.bsky.social.

Could AI help us speak dolphin? 🐬💬 Google is developing an AI model in partnership with @gtresearchnews.bsky.social and TWCF grantee @dolphinresearch.bsky.social to identify common patterns, structures, and even possible meanings behind dolphin communication. Read more in @sciam.bsky.social.

Phew! Long thread :) If it was too long, we also have this short video that explains what we did and what we found! media.ed.ac.uk/media/DiSI+A... Thanks to our funders @templetonworld.bsky.social and all our participants. Here’s a link to the paper again - nature.com/articles/s41...

Stories of Impact received a 2025 Communicator Award of Distinction for our science and tech series — honoring the voices and visions we’re grateful to share. Thank you for listening, for caring, and for walking alongside us. 🎧 pod.link/1519411454 #CommunicatorAwards #StoriesOfImpact

We’re divided — but why? Dr. Kurt Gray explores how moral psychology drives our political divisions — and how stories, not facts, may be the key to rebuilding trust. 🎧 pod.link/1519411454 #StoriesOfImpact #KurtGray #Polarization

💬 "Organizations that embrace flourishing as a cultural operating system don’t just feel better—they perform better." Find out how learnings from the #GlobalFlourishingStudy can inform the future of work and keep employees more engaged, more innovative, and more loyal in @forbes.com.

The #GlobalFlourishingStudy found that young adults don’t appear to be flourishing, struggle with their physical and mental health, perceptions of their own character, finding meaning in life, the quality of their relationships, & financial security. Via @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/w...

The first results of the #GlobalFlourishingStudy might surprise you, with Sweden ranked joint 13th, and Japan at the bottom of the pile of the 22 countries studied. In @nytimes.com, the researchers explore how it's reimagining our picture of flourishing: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/o...

Great description of #openscience in this panel discussion, describing the study as a more ‘generous way’ of doing science. First wave of papers out now www.nature.com/collections/...

What does it mean to flourish? The #GlobalFlourishingStudy is uncovering the answers with top researchers from Baylor, @gallup.com, @cs50.harvard.edu & @cos.io. Check out the research: globalflourishingstudy.com #GlobalFlourishingStudy

Join us virtually for a landmark event focused on the science and significance of human flourishing. The @gallup.com event will explore the first year findings of the #GlobalFlourishingStudy, as well as actionable insights and innovative strategies for fostering wellbeing.

From philosophy to neuroscience, the #GlobalFlourishingStudy is bringing together experts across disciplines from @harvard.edu, @gallup.com, @cos.io @baylor.bsky.social for one of the largest research efforts on human flourishing, with 240,000 participants in 22 countries over 5 years.

Beyond religious significance, could Shabbat dinner enhance wellbeing? Dr. Adam Cohen, Dr. Arielle Levites, and Aliza Kline are researching whether the combination of shared food, sacred time & intentional gathering uniquely enhances feelings of belonging. 🎧 Listen on @storiesofimpact.bsky.social

@sampratt99.bsky.social and I are having a fantastic time in Marrakesh Morocco discussing polarization and pluralism. Enjoying the great discussions across disciplines to tackle some of the most pressing societal issues. Thanks Templeton World Charity Foundation for organizing this event!

I had a great time this weekend presenting with @emilykubin.bsky.social at the Templeton World Charity Foundation Listening and Learning in a Polarized World meetup in Marrakesh, Morocco. @templetonworld.bsky.social put on an amazing event!

Dr. Sean Westwood studies how political hatred takes root—and why Americans may still be more committed to democracy than we think. A powerful look at polarization, resilience, and the future of civic life. 🎧 pod.link/1519411454

Does the why behind fasting change its effects? Whether for spiritual growth or health benefits, the impact of fasting might not be the same. Research from Dr. Adam Cohen & Dr. Kathryn A. Johnson examines how fasting on Yom Kippur impacts wellbeing. Find out more on @storiesofimpact.bsky.social.

Announcement from the Holy Eparchial Synod: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Awarded 2025 Templeton Prize: www.goarch.org/-/ep-templeton.

TWCF grantees Duncan Astle & Danyal Akarca of @uniofcam.bsky.social used generative network modeling on the Human Connectome Project’s infant dataset to simulate network organization development, finding that preterm infants showed reduced connectivity, shorter connections, and lower efficiency.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of more than 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, has won the 2025 #TempletonPrize for his pioneering efforts to bring together people of different faiths to heed a call for stewardship of creation. www.templetonprize.org/2025

What happened when 1,000 people interacted with an AI version of Jesus Christ? Marco Schmid joins David Zvi Kalman to discuss this project and why he thinks people responded to it so well on "Belief in the Future", a new TWCF supported podcast. www.templetonworldcharity.org/blog/the-bet...

To create a clearer picture of trends, methodological choices, interpretations & findings within unconsciousness research, TWCF grantee Liad Mudrik created the UnconTrust Database, which brings together the the methods and findings of 426 experiments in an interactive website uncontrustdb.tau.ac.il

New research from TWCF grantee Shira Gabriel suggests that attending live music creates “collective effervescence”, a feeling of connection and sacredness that occurs in large groups, and this contributes to lasting happiness, even a week after the event. 🎶 www.psypost.org/live-music-e...

In 1996, Sir John Templeton (1912–2008) founded TWCF to explore life’s biggest questions. 🧠✨ His mission? Use the tools of science to better understand human's spiritual nature and the physical world. Today, we’re proud to carry that bold, forward-thinking vision into the future.

In 1996, Sir John Templeton (1912–2008) founded TWCF to explore life’s biggest questions. 🧠✨ His mission? Use the tools of science to better understand human's spiritual nature and the physical world. Today, we’re proud to carry that bold, forward-thinking vision into the future.