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Positive Action

Positive Action is an evidence-based comprehensive social-emotional learning program that improves academics, behavior, and character, social, emotional, physical and mental health. The mission of the Positive Action System is to promote positive actions to empower greatness in individuals as they participate in their before/after-school programs, schools, families and communities, so they live happy, healthy and successful lives and also to empower greatness in families, schools and communities themselves.

Using Positive Action for a before/after-school program provides a safe environment for kids, helps working families, provides motivation to achieve, builds positive skills in the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional areas, and improves academic achievement. It promotes leadership, cooperation, respect, positive relationships based on positive communication, conflict resolution, self-management, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.

For more than 30 years, the Positive Action System has been used nationally and internationally. It is a comprehensive system of integrated and coherent school, family and community curricula and programs that promote the use of positive actions to develop the whole self—physical, intellectual, social and emotional.

The Positive Action System consists of five layers which build upon themselves to provide the structure, organization and logic for the whole system. The first four layers present the content and the fifth layer supplies the tools through which the content is delivered.

The content is based on universal concepts and is developed for easy delivery through user-friendly tools to form a coherent, appropriate approach for each group. The tools are versatile, easy-to-use and easily adaptable to target specific grades and needs.

Each of the tools can stand alone down to the individual lesson or activity level, or can be mixed and matched in any combination, or form a seamless whole.

·        Layer 1: Provides the overarching intuitive philosophy—you feel good about yourself when you do positive actions and there is a positive way to do everything—for self-understanding and self-management that underlies the entire system.

·        Layer 2: Depicts the philosophy in graphic form—Thoughts, Actions, and Feelings about Self Circle—describes how it is applied to the whole self.

·        Layer 3: Outlines the holistic scope of the positive actions for the whole self: physical, intellectual, social and emotional.

·        Layer 4: Outlines and organizes the specific content of the holistic view of the self into six units, upon which all of the system tools are based. The six units teach the Positive Action skills, known as the “Skills for Greatness,” which are the specific positive actions for the whole self.

o   Unit 1: Self-Concept: Philosophy and Thoughts-Actions-Feelings about Self Circle.

o   Unit 2: Physical and Intellectual Positive Actions for a Healthy Body and Mind.

o   Unit 3: Social and Emotional Positive Actions for Managing Yourself Responsibly.

o   Unit 4: Social and Emotional Positive Actions for Getting Along with Others.

o   Unit 5: Social and Emotional Positive Actions for Being Honest with Yourself and Others.

o   Unit 6: Social and Emotional Positive Actions for Improving Yourself Continually. 

·        Layer 5: Outlines and explains the organization of all of the tools or materials in the system that are used to deliver the content. The tools include:

The Pre K-12 Curriculum Kits contain an Instructor’s Manual with scripted, 15-20 minute lessons and all of the materials to teach the lessons, including: posters, games, music and activity sheets or booklets and other manipulatives for 30 students. The engaging lessons contain a variety of methodologies with discussion, stories, Q & A, role-playing, and plays.

The Elementary Bullying Prevention Supplement Kit contains 21, 15-30-minute lessons that directly target bullying. An ongoing story follows students involved in bullying behaviors—either as the bully, victim or a bystander. This kit can stand alone or the lessons can be taught at the end of each unit of the regular curriculum.

The Elementary and Secondary Drug Education Supplement Kits each contain a manual with lessons that can stand along or be combined with a classroom curriculum kit. They stimulate in-depth learning about the negative effects of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use as they relate to each of the unit concepts. They also teach the importance and results of drug-free living: success and happiness.

The Elementary and Secondary Climate Development Kits each contain self-explanatory manuals that describe how to develop a positive environment at the site and how to use the tools and do the activities provided. The kits include materials to organize a committee that directs and coordinates the site-wide program.

The Counselor’s Kit includes a manual with lessons, activities and materials that can be used with individuals, large or small groups, and families. It has a Topical Guide to identify appropriate lessons for specific issues. This kit is multi-age and appropriate to use with students who need more intensive assistance.

The Family Kit has 42 lessons 20-30-minute to be taught with the family at home.

The Family Classes Kit has a Family Kit and four instructor’s manuals, one each for children, adolescents, parents and the family together. The manuals guide seven two-hour classes that teach families how to use the Family Kit in the home.

The Parenting Classes Kit contains the Family Classes instructor’s manual for parent and the Family Kit. The manual guides seven one-hour classes that teach parents how to lead their families and use the Family Kit in the home.

The Community Kit provides materials to be used by a coalition or a community steering committee to do positive projects community-wide. It contains an instruction manual, a Family Kit, a Counselor’s Kit and a Media Kit, as well as materials for the various Community Groups to use in planning positive action activities.

The Conflict Resolution Kit is for all ages and teaches how to use the Conflict Resolution Plan to resolve conflicts.

In total, the five layers of the system build on each other, allowing its logic, structure and organization to integrate and work synergistically to bring a single coherent approach to developing the individual, family, school and community, in order to create a more positive world.