How the Pulse works.
Inspiration
The Pulse draws inspiration from frameworks like Bhutan's Gross National Happiness — the idea that wellbeing is shaped by community, ecology, balance, and place, not just economy.
Scoring
Each question uses a 1–5 Likert scale. We normalize answers to a 0–100 range and average them within six categories: Ecological Connection (20%), Community Vitality (20%), Stress & Balance (20%), Hope & Future (15%), Stewardship (15%), Outdoor Access & Place (10%). Negative items (stress, isolation, exhaustion) are reverse-scored.
Participation
The Pulse is open from June 1 through July 4 each year. Anyone in Colorado can participate. Reflections are voluntary and anonymous unless an email is provided for updates.
Anonymization
We do not collect IP addresses, account information, or location beyond the region and community type you select. Optional county and email fields are stored separately and used only for analysis and updates.
Ethics
The Pulse is a community-generated wellbeing project and should not be interpreted as formal census or clinical research. We present patterns observationally and avoid causal claims. AI-supported interpretation is restrained and editorial — not therapeutic or prescriptive.
Contact
Presented by Adventure Acres Foundation. For questions, reach out via the foundation's website.