As part of a massive new spending bill, federal lawmakers are providing billions of dollars in aid through Title IV to the existing Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The goal is to help boost learning opportunities for students, including initiatives that promote school safety and mental-health resources, such as social-emotional learning (SEL) support.
The Positivity Project, which is grounded in positive psychology’s research on character and relationships, meets the criteria for a Tier 2 evidence-based intervention under ESSA.
What does the research show? The Positivity Project increases student-teacher relationships, students’ sense of relatedness, students’ emotional and behavioral development, and teachers enjoy using the lessons. Read peer-reviewed journal articles on our Research & Impact Page.
P2’s approach is built on the theoretical foundation of positive psychology’s 24 character strengths. Beginning in 2000, Dr. Peterson led a 40-person team, over a three-year period, to better understand character and its manifestations. Alongside Dr. Martin Seligman, Dr. Peterson then wrote an 800-page book on the research called Character Strengths and Virtues. This book explains that:
- 24 character strengths that are evident in the most widely influential traditions of thought in human history.
- Robust evidence of all 24 strengths existing throughout time and in all cultures of the world.
- All 24 character strengths exist in every individual.
Compared to other programs with similar SEL/character education goals, P2’s model strives to remain true to the theoretical foundation, established by empirical work, of character strengths and their role in well-being — while providing a program that can be implemented in a wide range of school environments (public, private, charter, rural, urban, and suburban).
Wondering what The Positivity Project could look like in your classroom?
We’d like to invite you, and any of your colleagues, to see what #PositivityInAction looks like with a free demo. You can sign up here so that you can get a true sense of The Positivity Project’s benefits: easy and adaptable for teachers, engaging and impactful for students, and a schoolwide common vocabulary, and positive culture.
Melissa Killingbeck
Melissa Killingbeck is the Curriculum Manager for The Positivity Project and ensures our resources are at their highest quality. Melissa earned her bachelor's degree and teaching certificate in elementary education and holds a Master's in Education with certification in K-12 administration. Before joining the P2 team, Melissa was a successful P2 Partner School principal in Flushing, Michigan, where she worked for 25 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and principal. After retiring from public education in 2019, Melissa relocated to northern Michigan with her husband Casey and their Silver Lab, Tank. When not knee-deep in P2 resources, Melissa can be found rockhounding along a lakeshore, enjoying a boat ride with Casey and Tank, or "downstate" visiting their two grown children.
