Ly, Stefanie2016-09-082016-09-082016http://hdl.handle.net/10012/10813The Independent Studies program closed in 2016. This thesis was one of 25 accepted by Library for long-term preservation and presentation in UWSpace.This project examines current and historical research in developmental psychology and neuroscience to support the idea that nurturing familial and school relationships will create empathic, compassionate and creative future adult citizens and leaders, and thereby a healthy society. I argue that, however helpful they might be, changes to the public school elementary curriculum alone cannot bring about the desired objective. Many years of experimentation with “character training” curricula have amply demonstrated this. This paper culminates in recommendations for the ideal approaches to ensuring the necessary healthy relationships premised on the mentorship of parents, teachers, and other caregivers by child development professionals to support the unfolding of healthy individuals of all temperaments.enempathywell-beingattunementattachmentdevelopmental psychologyelementary schoolingchildrenparentingmentorshipfamilyhealthy societiesBachelor Thesis