Wellbeing That Lasts: Protective Factors in Elementary Students

September 23, 2025/Sources Team

Thriving, Not Just Surviving

What if the most powerful way to prevent future harm is to build strength and protective factors early? That’s the vision behind the Sources of Strength elementary curriculum: equip students and staff not just to avoid crises but to move through difficult times with resilience and to thrive over time.

In our conversation, Matt Hofmeister explained: “ When we focus on protective factors – family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, physical health and mental health – we can increase emotional regulation, hope and belonging. Together, these  are key tools all people need to weather life’s ups and downs.  

What Are Protective Factors?

At Sources of Strength, we focus on eight core protective factors, the Strengths that support long-term wellbeing and resilience. These form the foundation of our elementary curriculum:

Family Support, Positive Friends, Mentors, Healthy Activities, Generosity, Spirituality, Medical Access, and Mental Health

Lessons continually reference and explore these 8 Strengths through the lens of neuroscience, emotional regulation, and help seeking, as well as navigating conflict and transitions in healthy ways to understand and build a strong foundation of personal and community resilience. 

Over time through these foundational Strengths, the curriculum helps students build key social-emotional skills that bring those protective factors to life:

  • Connection and Belonging: Creating safe, inclusive classroom environments
  • Hope and Help-Seeking: Helping students recognize challenges and know how to ask for support
  • Emotional Regulation: Teaching skills to identify, name, and manage big feelings
  • Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Encouraging understanding and compassion from a young age

Together, these strengths and skills lay the groundwork for lasting mental health, resilience, and schoolwide culture change.

Why It Matters

These aren’t just helpful skills for students, they’re essential. Research shows protective factors reduce risk of mental health challenges, improve academic outcomes, and promote long-term wellbeing.

“It has normalized help-seeking behavior. They have become more comfortable acknowledging and responding to emotions.”

Our approach makes space for every child to be seen, valued, and empowered as they uncover their own personal strengths.  And when schools commit to fostering these protective factors, they build the foundation for cultures of strength that last.

Want to explore how these strengths show up in real classrooms? Visit our Elementary Curriculum page or schedule a call with our team.

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