Flourish: Post #8 - Teaching Positive Psychology

Teaching Positive Psychology
a. The Problem: What parents want for their kids: happiness, contentment, health, balance. What schools teach: thinking skills, literacy, math. Depression is epidemic in kids—10 times what it was 50 years ago and starting younger and younger (first onset below 15 years old).
b. Development of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP)—a program designed to teach students to “handle day-to-day problems that are common in adolescence.” Research basis: 1) diverse samples racially and ethnically; 2) variety of leaders (teachers, counselors); 3) independently evaluated by outside organizations for validity and reliability.
c. Results of PRP: reduces hopelessness, prevents clinical depression, reduces and prevents anxiety, discipline problems.
d. PRP Builds Character Strengths: PERMA.