Education Division Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

The Impact of Uplifters Moderators’ Training on Future Educators’ Engagement and Sense of Competence In Promoting Virtue Development (#104)

Niva Dolev 1
  1. Kinneret Academic College, Israel

Bullying among children and adolescents is a prevailing problem that many school-based prevention programs address. Uplifter is a unique program that posits that class violence is often a struggle for social status. Therefore, it focuses on positive branding of growth and pro-social behaviour by highlighting uplifting students and their character strengths, acting as role models to peers. While educators have been noted as key to successful interventions, programs have typically focused on students. To address the issue, a semester-long Uplifters moderators’ course was implemented in the education department of one college in Israel to equipping students to promote virtue development and cultivate positive and safe relationships in children and youth. The qualitative study analysed the course reflections of 25 participating students. High levels of engagement and a sense of competence create a positive, bullying-free climate, which values and promotes strengths.  

  • Keywords: Education