Wellbeing Summit Shares New Approaches to our Most Serious Challenges

December 5, 2019 3:00 PM
by Catalina Langen

On Saturday, November 16, 2019, approximately 900 people attended the Wellbeing Summit at Santa Monica College’s newly renovated Center for Media & Design.

The event marked a convening of Santa Monica residents, wellbeing experts from around the country and globe, and local experts who connect their work to the larger wellbeing movement.

By the Numbers: Based on survey responses, well over 3,500 new connections were made at the Wellbeing Summit, with each attendee meeting on average four people they didn’t know before the event. Of 177 attendees surveyed,
87% said the event was very good or excellent
85% felt motivated to take action in their community after attending the Wellbeing Summit
88% felt motivated to participate in future City of Santa Monica events
97% said event staff were very friendly or extremely friendly


At the Wellbeing Summit, attendees heard from speakers and participated in workshops. In their downtime, they explored an outdoor Marketplace of Ideas with virtual reality experiences, play areas, a community portrait booth, screen printing, and interactive art installations.

One participant said, “It was a welcoming space filled with lots of activities. It sparked joy.”

In the workshops and panel talks, attendees heard from local leaders and national and international experts. These included a global wellbeing panel moderated by Juliana Essen, Ph.D., featuring Alejandro Adler, Ph.D., Benilda Batzin from Guatemala, and Kinga Tshering from Bhutan.

A participant said, “The presenters were natural teachers who celebrated our efforts. The "Normal Sucks" presentation was beyond tremendous. I wish I had heard it years before (I'm retired from teaching). Flip the script!”

In the panel Walking the Talk: What’s Next for Wellbeing?, Mayor Gleam Davis said, “Wellbeing matters because whatever issue you care about, these are all symptoms of a disease of a lack of wellbeing. To solve these problems, we need to dig into that wellbeing work. If we don’t get to the underlying problem, we’ll just be faced with the same symptoms over and over again.”

In addition to the panel sessions, attendees signed up for interactive workshops throughout the day. A full list of the workshops can be found on the Wellbeing Summit website.

LA-based dance group CONTRA-TIEMPO taught a workshop on dance as community organizing.

“I would describe the energy of the day as very positive, full of excitement, engaging, good coming together and the outside area felt joyful and fun. People came prepared to listen, learn and share, which really showed me how many people want to see Santa Monica be and do it’s best.” - Irma Carranza, Moderator, Building Resilience in Communities of Color: Lessons from Virginia Avenue Park’s Parent Groups, Santa Monica resident and Community Advocate.

A participant shared, “I really appreciate the effort and I am glad I went. As someone who sometimes feels 'isolated' as it is put, it is important for me to reach out and try to get involved in things… Thank you.”

At the end of the day, Mayor Gleam Davis closed out the Wellbeing Summit with the following quote: “We truly are a Sustainable City of Wellbeing, but this is not something that the city government can bestow on you or can do alone. If we are truly going to live up to that title, then each and every one of us needs to invest in this community. I know, we heard today, that there are things we need to work on. But let’s do the hard and satisfying work of working on them together to make this a better community for each and every person in it.

For more information about wellbeing in Santa Monica, please visit the Office of Civic Wellbeing's website.

Authored By

Catalina Langen
Community Engagement Coordinator