Positive Action

Initiative Description: Positive Action (PA) is an SEL program for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students. Each grade level has a PA Kit with about 140 lessons that take about 15 min to complete. The philosophy behind PA is that youth feel good when they engage in positive actions, thus, the program attempts to increase the frequency with which participants display positive behavior. PA lessons were implemented about 2 to 3 times per week in a specific class, usually Health or Social Studies.

Study Results: Participation in Positive Action led to improvements in school climate, which influenced alcohol use, aggression, depression, and anxiety.

Reference: Stalker, K. C., Wu, Q., Evans, C. B. R., & Smokowski, P. R. (2018). The impact of the positive action program on substance use, aggression, and psychological functioning: Is school climate a mechanism of change? Children & Youth Services Review, 84, 143-151. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.11.020

Level of Evidence: Very Good