The Partnership

One of the Muhammad Ali Center’s goals is to inspire people worldwide to embrace their core values and strengths and to live their lives to their fullest potential.  The Values In Action Institute (VIA), as a partner with the Ali Center, offers visitors the knowledge and science regarding the development of personal character and values.

The Program

In Walk With Ali (both an on-site exhibit and an online experience), visitors learn about individuals’ character strengths identified by the Values in Action Institute.  Visitors have an opportunity to identify one of their own strengths and begin an exploration of how these strengths can create a satisfying, balanced life to help them be the greatest they can be.  Research shows that using your top strengths in your life creates a sense of engagement and a sense of meaning, both of which contribute significantly to one’s overall sense of well-being.

The Values In Action Institute will continue to provide the Muhammad Ali Center and its visitors with the most current knowledge about developing character.  To learn more about the Values in Action Institute (VIA) or to visit Walk With Ali online, click here.

About the Values In Action Institute (VIA)

Dr. Neal Mayerson established, along with Dr. Martin Seligman, created the Values in Action Institute (VIA) – the preeminent non-profit organization in the study of character and values.  As the backbone of the new science of Positive Psychology, the Values in Action Institute (VIA), under the direction of Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Chris Peterson, created the first comprehensive measure of 24 different character strengths – the VIA Strengths Survey.  To date, nearly half a million people have gone online to discover their top strengths.

Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology, is the Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a former president of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Seligman’s research shows how three critical dimensions of life experience—pleasure, engagement and meaning—combine to create life satisfaction.  Positive Psychology seeks to understand and build the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.  Positive Psychology employs basic scientific tools developed by the Values in Action Institute (VIA), including the preeminent Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues and the Values In Action (VIA) Strengths Surveys for increasing individuals’ personal strengths.  Positive Psychology focuses on building positive characteristics to buffer against life’s problems and to increase life satisfaction.  For more information about Positive Psychology, visit www.positivepsychology.org.