The Starlight Children’s Foundation is an Australian for-purpose organisation that exists to brighten the lives of seriously ill children, young people and their families, by delivering programs which support their wellbeing and resilience. While the majority of these programs are delivered face-to-face in paediatric hospitals, technology is utilised to connect those isolated by their condition and there are long term collaborations with health professionals to reach remote Indigenous communities.
Both the programs and the organisation’s culture are built upon the science of positive psychology. “Positivity@Starlight”, is a positive psychology-based approach, for all team members to support them in living a flourishing life. It involves education on Seligman’s PERMA theory of wellbeing, character strengths, mindfulness, and fostering a growth mindset. We also highly value and actively promote creativity, with a dedicated innovation program in place.
We believe that it is these positive psychology foundations that has enabled Starlight to not only continue to support a vulnerable population during the onset of a global pandemic, but also to innovate and thrive (as shown through two recent national awards, as one of the “Top 20 Places to Work in Australia” and the AFR BOSS “Most Innovative Company”). With a framework already in place, the organisation could quickly respond to meet the needs of team members, and the children and their families they support.
This presentation will outline how positive psychology underpins both our organisational culture and program delivery. It will discuss how as a result of the pandemic Starlight had to adapt programs, sometimes dramatically, to ensure the safety of children, sharing the findings of a research study into the impact of those changes. It will also showcase examples of innovation and creativity that have allowed Starlight to ensure that vulnerable children and families could still enjoy meaningful moments of joy and happiness.