In the 1930s Budapest suffered from a massive wave of suicides. To promote positive thinking and to increase positive emotions within the depression afflicted Budapest population, Smile School was established. Within the framework of the Smile School programme, students were learning ways to develop their smiling skills and studied a variety of smiles, thereby improving their emotional state.

In order to overcome the challenges of the 21st century with the increase of people suffering by burnouts, depression and effects related to our modern lifestyle, the restored Smile School has been established in Riga in 2017.