image of the positivity project

What is The Positivity Project (P2)?

Mission: To help America’s youth build stronger relationships by recognizing the character strengths in themselves and others.

Vision: To develop leaders and citizens who will strengthen our communities and country by internalizing the belief that “Other People Matter”.

Throughout the school year, students will learn about a new character strength each week that falls under Positivity Psychology’s Six Virtues:

  • Wisdom and Knowledge – Strengths of wisdom and knowledge are cognitive strengths related to the acquisition and use of information. Strengths comprised in this virtue are creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective.
  • Humanity – Strengths of humanity involve caring interpersonal relationships with others, particularly in one-to-one relationships. Strengths comprised in this virtue are love, kindness, and social intelligence.
  • Justice – Strengths of justice refer to the optimal relationship between the individual and the group or community, rather than the more one-to-one relationships in the humanity virtue. Strengths comprised in this virtue are teamwork, fairness, and leadership.
  • Courage – Strengths of courage involve applying will and fortitude in overcoming internal or external resistance to accomplish goals. Strengths comprised in this virtue are bravery, perseverance, integrity, and enthusiasm.
  • Temperance – Strengths of temperance protect us from excess. Strengths comprised in this virtue are forgiveness, humility, prudence, and self-control.
  • Transcendence – Strengths of transcendence allow people to rise above their troubles and find meaning in the larger universe. Strengths of transcendence are appreciation of beauty and excellence, purpose, gratitude, optimism, and humor.
the positivity project character strengths graphic

The Positivity Project (P2) Character Strengths

  • Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
    • You notice and value the world’s beauty and people’s skills. You don’t take things for granted.
  • Bravery
    • You act with mental, moral, or physical strength even when you know things are difficult or scary.
  • Creativity
    • You come up with new and original ways to think about and do things.
  • Curiosity
    • You like exploration and discovery. You ask lots of questions because you want to learn more about anything and everything.
  • Enthusiasm
    • You approach life with excitement and energy. You energize people around you.
  • Fairness
    • You believe that all people have value. You approach situations with an unbiased mindset and treat everyone with respect.
  • Forgiveness
    • You forgive those who have done wrong. You accept that people make mistakes.
  • Gratitude
    • You are aware of and thankful for good things that happen.
  • Humility
    • You do not seek the spotlight. You let your actions speak for themselves.
  • Humor
    • You like to laugh and bring smiles to other people.
  • Integrity
    • You are honest and speak the truth. You present yourself genuinely and sincerely.
  • Kindness
    • You are generous to others and you are never too busy to help out. You enjoy doing good deeds for other people.
  • Leadership
    • You value each member of your group and inspire people to do their best.
  • Love
    • You value close relationships with others and being close to people.
  • Love of Learning
    • You master new skills and topics on your own or in school.
  • Open-Mindedness
    • You like to consider new ideas and try new things. You examine things from all sides and don’t jump to conclusions.
  • Optimism
    • You expect the best from the future and work to achieve it.
  • Perseverance
    • You complete what you start despite obstacles. You never give up.
  • Perspective
    • You appreciate that people see things in different ways. You have the ability to understand the world from multiple points of view.
  • Prudence
    • You plan for the future and achieve your goals by making careful everyday choices.
  • Purpose
    • You have beliefs about the meaning of life and your life’s purpose. You seek to be part of something greater than yourself.
  • Self-Control
    • You have the ability to control your emotions and behaviors. You think before you act.
  • Social Intelligence
    • You are aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings. You understand why they do things.
  • Teamwork
    • You work well as a member of a group or team. You are loyal, reliable, and dedicated to helping your team achieve its goals.

Ways to Support P2 at Home and in Our Community

As your child learns a new character strength each week, please visit with them to help your child understand the character in themselves and others through a different lens. You can do this by using the character strengths vocabulary students are learning in school and by visiting The Positivity Project website.