CAMPAIGNS & RESOURCES
Overview
Campaigns are the way Sources of Strength teams harness the power and influence of Peer Leader voice to spread messages of Hope, Help, and Strength into their communities.
We have created a whole set of templated campaigns for your team to use to help people interact, engage, and apply Strength to their lives. These were each created to focus on different goals that allow people to grow in Strength. While we hope these are helpful for you, we also believe that they are only a tool. The real power is in the creativity and insight of your Peer Leader team, so allow these campaigns to help guide your team and not restrict their voice. Remember: a campaign that is interactive and engages people to apply the strengths to their own lives will bring awareness, understanding and knowledge. It has the power to create lasting behaviors and cultural change.
Meetings
The real work of Sources of Strength happens as teams meet together regularly, growing in and practicing their strengths, and then seeking to share, cultivate, and spread Hope, Help, and Strength-Based messages and stories across a school or community at a population level. This is no small endeavor and we hope to offer the necessary resources, support, and strategy you’ll need to do this well amongst your adult and Peer Leader teams.
Trusted Adults
Having strong connection with Trusted Adults is a significant protective factor in the life of a young person. One of the primary outcomes of Sources of Strength is increasing trust towards adults. We want to work to both increase trust between students and adults, and to work to be adults who are worthy of that trust. Use the Trusted Adult Campaign to begin to build toward this in your community.
What Helps Me
The What Helps Me Campaign is a powerful way to share stories of strength and example of healthy coping in your community. This campaign focuses on stories of what strengths help us when navigating overwhelm and difficult emotions.
I Am Stronger
The I am Stronger Campaign focuses on strengths that you have increased in the last year. This campaign spreads the idea that the strengths on the wheel are not static. Just because one area on the wheel isn’t strong for you now, doesn’t mean you can’t strengthen it in the future. You are not stuck. You can grow stronger in each area of the wheel. The I Am Stronger Campaign is about collecting stories of strength from your community and sharing them through photos, videos, wall displays and social media.
Thankfulness Challenge
Numerous studies have shown the powerful impact that practicing gratitude can have on our lives. Thankfullness can change the physical makeup of the brain and help us become more positive, joyful and content. We can begin this process by simply writing down or journaling about 3 things we are thankful for every day for 21 days. A fun activity your Sources of Strength team can sponsor is a Thankfulness Campaign.
Connect
A culture of connection, where it is OK to ask for help for ourselves or others and get connected to the help we need and deserve, is incredibly protective. The purpose of the Connect Campaign is to use positive social norming to break down codes of silence and secrecy, while increasing the acceptability of seeking help for one’s self and for others.
We Belong
Everyone has something to offer their community. Whatever one’s culture, talents, knowledge, experiences, or perspective, we need everyone’s voice for a community to thrive. We miss out when people are excluded. The You Belong campaign focuses on the idea that diversity is something to be honored and celebrated. In this campaign, Peer Leaders help solicit stories of times when someone felt they belonged and highlight what groups and individuals bring to the community.
Sources of Strength Week
The Sources of Strength Week is designed to engage your school or community in a fun way with Sources of Strength and to get students and staff, talking about, engaging in, and developing their strengths and connections to others. Be creative in planning a Sources of Strength week that fits your school, community and culture.
Strength Specific Campaigns
Run campaigns focussed on promoting and engaging others in each of the eight sources of strength!
Extra Resources & Mini Campaigns
Miscellaneous resources and activities to add to your campaign schedule!
