Skip To Main Content

Positivity Project

“I can sum up positive psychology in just three words  —  other people matter. Period. Anything that builds relationships between and among people is going to make you happy.” – Dr. Chris Peterson

What is The Positivity Project?

The Positivity Project (P2) empowers students to build positive relationships and become their best selves by focusing on positive psychology’s 24 character strengths, such as bravery, perseverance, integrity, and gratitude.

P2 partners with Pre-K–12 schools, providing the resources, training, and strategies to help students understand and apply these strengths. This holistic approach involves students, educators, and families, fostering a positive school culture that supports teaching and learning.

How is NCSD using The Positivity Project? 

Novi Community School District is proud to fully launch The Positivity Project (P2) district-wide for the 2025–2026 school year. NCSD believes in supporting the whole child and empowering every student to reach the pinnacle of their potential. 
 
Through this initiative, P2 will serve as a Tier 1 resource for students and staff within the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. As a Tier 1 resource, P2 strengthens the foundation of the school culture and provides universal access to all students, ensuring every child benefits from evidence-based lessons that promote self-awareness, empathy, and positive relationships. Teachers across the district will introduce one character strength each week—alongside the elements of the Other People Matter Mindset—following a unified district calendar. Lessons will help students understand character through definitions, examples, discussions, and exercises. These frequent touchpoints and intentional language will help cultivate a positive mindset, emotional resilience, and character strength development across the district. 
 

This work directly supports NCSD’s Graduate Profile, a set of competencies that all students will develop and demonstrate before leaving our school community. These competencies—such as being an empathetic collaborator, resilient problem solver, and curious innovator—will be valued, assessed, taught, and monitored throughout each student’s educational journey. By embedding P2 into daily instruction, we are laying the foundation for students to engage meaningfully, lead with empathy, and make a lasting impact in a global society.

What are the benefits of implementing The Positivity Project?

The Positivity Project (P2) enhances self-awareness, self-confidence, understanding and appreciation of others, leading to stronger interpersonal relationships and a more inclusive school culture. By fostering daily positive interactions in classrooms, P2 supports both teachers’ ability to teach and students’ ability to learn—creating an environment where every child feels seen, valued, and connected.
 
P2 also equips teachers with a variety of tier 2 and tier 3 resources to support students who may need additional, targeted support beyond the universal Tier 1 instruction. These resources are designed to help educators address the specific behavioral and social-emotional needs of students who may be struggling by offering tools for small-group intervention. 
 
By offering a continuum of support, P2 ensures that all students—regardless of need—have access to meaningful character education that promotes resilience, connection, and lifelong growth.
 

How Families Can Help?

Family involvement is an integral part of student success, and we would love for you to take an active role in your student’s character strength education. P2 for Families provides an easy, accessible way to reinforce character strengths vocabulary and engage in meaningful discussions at home. Additionally, you can take the Character Strengths Snapshot Survey.  Understanding your own strengths alongside those of your child can spark meaningful conversations at home, deepen empathy, and create shared language around personal development. 

Positivity In Action

As students learn to see strengths in themselves and others, we wish to showcase how our entire community -- educators, students, families -- are using the P2 character strengths and Other People Matter Mindset as a way of life.

Please use the NCSD Positivity In Action Google Form to share testimonials and photos of how we are using the P2 character strengths.  We will share these submissions in variety of ways, including district social media platforms and the Wildcat Happenings monthly newsletter. 

Some examples to share: 

  • Raking leaves for a neighbor demonstrates the character strength of Kindness.
  • Trying a new activity demonstrates the character strength of Curiosity 
  • Doing chores at home without being asked demonstrates the character strength of Leadership. 
  • A family completing a project or volunteering demonstrates the character strength of Teamwork
  • A shy student volunteering to read in front of classmates demonstrates the character strength of Bravery. 
  • Siblings making up after a disagreement demonstrates the character strength of Forgiveness or Love. 
  • Limiting screen time or video game usage demonstrates the character strength of Self-Control. 
  • A student reading a book on their own demonstrates the character strength of Love of Learning. 

Why is character education important?

P2Visuals-CharacterWebHighResolution-Pre-K-12 (PDF)

P2's 24 CHARACTER STRENGTH DEFINITIONS

Other People Mindset Descriptions for The Positivity Project

Other People Matter Definitions

NCSD Custom 2025-2026 Positivity Project Calendar
 
Dates Weekly Toolbox
Sept. 8-12 Intro Week - Other People Mindset (OPM)
Sept. 15-19 Curiosity
Sept. 22-26 Teamwork
Sept. 29-Oct. 3 Open-Mindedness
Oct. 6-10 OPM - Being present and giving others my attention
Oct. 13-17 Forgiveness
Oct. 20-24 Spiral Review
Oct. 27-31 Creativity
Nov. 3-7 OPM - Knowing my words and actions affect others
Nov. 10-14 Bravery
Nov. 17-21 Gratitude
Nov. 24-28 Gratitude
Dec. 1-5 Kindness
Dec. 8-12 OPM - Supporting others when they struggle
Dec. 15-19 Self-Control
Jan. 5-9 Optimism
Jan. 12-16 Prudence
Jan. 19-23 Perseverance
Jan. 26-30 Social Intelligence
Feb. 2-6 Integrity
Feb. 9-13 Love
Feb. 16-20 Spiral Review
Feb. 23-27 OPM - Cheering others' success
March 2-6 Humility
March 9-13 Love of Learning
March 16-20 Perspective
March 23-27 OPM - Identifying & appreciating the good in others
April 6-10 Humor
April 13-17 Fairness
April 20-24 Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
April 27-May 1 Purpose
May 4-8 Enthusiasm
May 11-15 Leadership
May 18-22 Spiral Review
May 25-19 Outro Week - Other People Mindset
EXTRA End of year extension activities; spirit week activities