1995
Psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon, and Howard Gardner spend the year together at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Stanford California. Over the course of the year, they develop rough plans for a collaborative project, which they entitle The Humane Creativity Project. A wide ranging search for funding results in an initial grant from the Hewlett Foundation, followed shortly by co-funding from the Ford Foundation and Courtney Ross.
In the ensuing fifteen years, several dozen researchers at five different universities have participated. The project has been funded by several national foundations as well as a number of private donors. The GoodWork Project has mainly taken place in the United States, though international collaborations are underway in Scandinavia and contacts have been established with researchers and practitioners in many countries.
Hans Henrik Knoop of the Royal Danish School of educational Studies joins the Humane Creativity project as the first international partner doing pilot studies in Latvia.
2006
The Humane Creativity Project changes its name to the GoodWork Project. Researchers begin to conduct in-depth interviews with professionals in genetics and journalism. In the course of this decade, researchers speak to over 1200 workers drawn from 9 domains: journalism, genetics, theater, business, K-12 education, higher education, law, medicine, and philanthropy. Individuals range in age and professional stage; the interview subjects include 10-15 year-olds, high school students, individuals in the first few years of their careers, many professionals at the height of their careers, and veteran professionals.
2001
Hans Henrik Knoop, together with colleagues Ebbe Vestergaard, Frans Ørsted Andersen and Inge Svendsen, conducts studies of good work in Education and Journalism. Several papers and reports are published in Danish and English.
The Traveling Curriculum in Journalism is developed in collaboration with the Committee of Concerned Journalists. This application is a series of “traveling” training workshops for mid-career journalists that address standards of the domain.
The Project’s first book-length publication, Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (Basic Books) is published in September 2001.
First course based on GoodWork themes and findings: “GoodWork in Education: When Excellence, Engagement, and Ethics Meet” is taught at Harvard University (Howard Gardner).
Additional courses based on good work themes and findings are initiated in the United States. Including “GoodWork in the Global Context” at New York University (Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Howard Gardner); “Integration of Liberal Studies” at San Jose State (Susan Verducci); “Communication in Organizations” at Colorado State University (Kirsten Broadfoot); “Ethics and Professional Identity: What is Good Work?” at Georgetown Law School (Carrie Menkel-Meadow); “Entrepreneurship and Good Work” at Brown University (Josef Mittlemann).
First GoodWork Project conference held in Copenhagen at the Danish University of Education in participation with William Damon and Howard Gardner.
Other specimen courses in this country: “Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet” at Harvard University (Howard Gardner); “GoodWork in the Global Context” at New York University (Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Howard Gardner); “Integration of Liberal Studies” at San Jose State (Susan Verducci); “Communication in Organizations” at Colorado State University (Kirsten Broadfoot); “Ethics and Professional Identity: What is Good Work?” at Georgetown Law School (Carrie Menkel-Meadow); “Entrepreneurship and Good Work” at Brown University (Josef Mittlemann).
The GoodWork Toolkit is developed to encourage young individuals and their teachers, coaches, supervisors, and mentors to talk about and reflect on issues of “good work.” In 2004, researchers pilot the series of portraits and activities/prompts with individual teachers from many different schools.
Second GoodWork Project conference held in Copenhagen at the Danish University of Education in participation with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura.
Good Business published (Viking Books).
Making Good published (Harvard University Press).
The Moral Advantage published (Berrett-Koehler Publishers).
The team begins implementing the GoodWork Toolkit within a whole school culture (students, teachers, faculty, parents) and facilitating workshops for professionals in education (at Harvard Project Zero and other educational settings).
Daedalus volume published, dedicated in part to findings from the Project.
“The Trust & Trustworthiness Project,” a study of young people’s trust conceptions, launched (Harvard).
College workshops based on web-based surveys of students and educators at three colleges are organized by Claremont Graduate University staff. Feedback from the surveys is shared with stakeholders at these colleges. Conversations revolve about the implications of misalignment within the institutions.
“Meaningful Work in a Meaningful Life,” a college-level course, is developed in collaboration with Rushworth Kidder and the Institute for Global Ethics for Colby College (Waterville, ME). This for-credit course is hosted by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement.
Collaboration launched with Lloyd Thacker (Education Conservancy) to address issues of college admissions.
Taking Philanthropy Seriously published (Indiana University Press).
“The GoodPlay Project,” a study of youth and digital ethics, launched (Harvard).
Responsibility at Work published (JosseyBass).
“Quality in Objects and Experiences” study launched (Harvard).
“The Developing Minds and Digital Media” project launched (Harvard).
“Youth Purpose Project” launched, involving field work in high schools in U.S. and U.K (Stanford).
“The Sources of Good Mentoring” project launched (Claremont).
Claremont Graduate University begins offering Master’s and Ph.D. programs in positive psychology building on good work research.
2010
Project Zero Classroom and Future of Learning Institute workshops focus on the GoodWork Toolkit and The GoodPlay Project (Harvard).
“Good Collaboration in Education” study launched (Harvard).
Trust in Philanthropy study launched by Susan Verducci and Andreas Schoeer, University of Heidelberg.
2010
“Reflecting on Your Life” sessions, a collaboration between the GoodWork team, Harvard Freshman Dean’s Office, and Harvard Professor Richard Light launched (Harvard).
Good Mentoring published (Jossey Bass).
Youth, Ethics, and the New Digital Media published (The MIT Press).
Goodworktoolkit.org website launched.
GoodWork is the theme of Annual Expeditionary Learning Conference (Kansas City).
GoodWork is a theme of the 5th European Conference on Positive Psychology in Copenhagen; with participation from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon, Howard Gardner, and Jeanne Nakamura.
GoodWork is among the main research topics at the new research unit for positive psychology at Aarhus University headed by Hans Henrik Knoop.
GoodWork: Theory and Practice published.
American Civic Purpose project launched (Stanford).
“Good Participation: A Qualitative Study of Youth and Participatory Politics” launched (Harvard).