The ‘Positivity Project‘ is catching on.

Lobbestael Elementary School started using the lessons from the character education program that promotes healthy behaviors and increases community involvement about a year ago and it’s been so successful fellow L’Anse Creuse Public Schools Yacks Elementary School will be using it next year.

Each week students learn about one of 24 character traits or positive personality traits ranging from bravery and creativity to integrity that they’re not only using at school but in their daily lives.

“My brother stole something from my room and I was mad,” said Angel Kachalla, a fifth-grader at Lobbestael.

When she got to school that day the character word was forgiveness and when she got home after school she told her brother that he was forgiven but to give back what was stolen.

Henry Persy has learned to be open-minded.

After a tonsillectomy he was told that he could not play outside and had to stay in bed. He was upset but then he thought about what it means to be open-minded and felt better about what his doctor was trying to do.

“It will actually help me in the long run,” Persy said. “I’ll get better and I won’t have a sore throat any more.”

Julia Badour also maintained an open-minded approach when her sister put candy in her room so she would get in trouble.

“She was getting in trouble a lot. I thought about it and I think she wanted me to get in trouble too,” Badour said.

Needless to say she told her sister to stop it and she did.

“I think P2 has been impactful not only for me as an educator but as a human being,” said Mary Doppke, who has been teaching for more than 28 years, most recently the fifth-graders at Lobbestael Elementary in Harrison Township. “It’s very powerful and it’s nice to be able to say they all know what these character traits mean.”

It’s also a program that does not take a lot to implement. P2 provides the lessons, videos and age appropriate materials so she doesn’t have to spend a great deal of time preparing for a lesson.

Plus, the lessons are fun.

“This is from the playlist of songs that make us happy,” Doppke said, before turning on the music that had the kids smiling and dancing in their seats.

Another exercise in positive psychology that combines humor with yoga had the kids laughing , which is good for the body and the soul. During the most recent exercise students took turns telling the class about the superheroes they want to be and the character traits they would possess.

“My hero’s name is Mr. Magic. He has self-control so he won’t hurt the bad guys,” said Dominic Sekerak, noting that Mr. Magic also has the power to make people do kind things or stop others from being unkind.

Delaney Sariol used her own creativity (one of the 24 character traits) to illustrate and explain her superhero Ocean.

“The trait I use is bravery and teamwork,” said Sariol. “I can battle unfair people if they’re being unfair. I can also battle rude people if they are being mean and I help other good superheroes so they can help me.”

Her superhero also responds to a lot of emergencies involving bullies and she helps with that as well.

Love, kindness and purpose are just a few of the traits used by Cadence Koehler’s superhero Unicorn Girl and her sidekick, Fluffy.

“Unicorn Girl has superpowers to make people not feel down,” said Koehler. Being a shape-shifter she can turn into all sorts of different things such as animals that make people happy. “Unicorn Girl and Fluffy feel like so many people are down all the time, so they want to show love to people.”

One of Fluffy’s powers is that she can make a rainbow appear.

Unicorn Girl also has a special necklace that releases unicorn dust she can sprinkle on people.

“The person she puts it on automatically has a unicorn headband and a rainbow tutu that makes them happy,” Koehler said, of her superhero.

“Thank you for listening, and always be a unicorn,” she said, before receiving a round of applause from her classmates.

Lobbestael’s Jessica Willinger said implementing the P2 program has also resulted in a decrease in student behavioral issues by creating a common language kids can use to better communicate with and understand others.

The kids also look forward to the P2 lesson as it provides a “brain break” from school and time to be with their peers.

“They are being taught teamwork and kindness and being mindful of others no matter what their background in life may be,” said Willinger. “The videos in each lesson are engaging.”

So much so, students have been seen re-enacting them.

Lobbestael Principal Beverly Polega said the students and staff were sent a survey to gauge how well it was being received by the school. The results showed that both students and staff voted overwhelmingly to keep it in place, with more than 80% of students voting positively and 100% of teachers requesting its continuation next year.

“It’s not a dog and pony show,” Polega said, of the project based on positive psychology. “It’s purposeful and meaningful. It’s teaching them the vocabulary. It’s teaching them these traits and these strengths that they can find in themselves and look for in other people.”