- Create a space where students can embrace positive messages about themselves
- Promote the importance of self-compassion and positive self-talk for mental wellness
- Empower the whole school to practice self-love this February!
- Middle school is a transitional time when students may experience lower self-esteem.
- Low self-esteem is connected to mental health challenges, peer problems, lower academic performance, and risky behavior. Teaching students how to use positive affirmations with themselves and one another is an effective strategy for building self- esteem, resilience, and connectedness.
- Entire school
- Secure administrator approval before setting up the station and get buy-in on the best location to host the station
- Include art teachers in the planning to get donated supplies if possible
- Engage OMM club members in the design and creation of the messages and station in advance
- Coordinate OMM club members’ roles for the event day (described below):
- Set-Up:
- Create a wall display by taping positive affirmation signs on a bulletin board or around a door frame for students to take pictures in front of
- Consider adding a table with directions and positive affirmation signs on poster board or printer paper for students to hold up
- Set-Up:
- Station Directions:
- Invite students to take turns standing in front of the positive affirmation board
- If there are positive affirmation signs, they can choose one to hold up in the picture
- Photo Options:
- Students can take their own selfies if they have a phone/camera with them
- Club member volunteers or staff can take a photo (using a polaroid camera, digital camera, or phone/tablet) of the students in front of the display
- Photo Sharing Options:
- Polaroid camera – give the photo directly to the student
- Phone/tablet/digital camera connected to printer – print photos and give them to students
- Phone/tablet/digital camera without printer access – ask students to write down an email address or phone number to send the photo
- Use this sample language to promote the campaign via posters, newsletters, announcements, social media, etc. Feel free to adapt as needed for your school
- You are… enough, loved, kind, powerful, smart, and resilient. Want more praise? Swing by the OMM positive affirmation station for a photo opp with your favorite positive affirmation on (insert date, time, and location)
- Directions for the station:
- You matter and so does the way you talk to yourself. Take a picture in our positive affirmation station. Post this picture where you can see it and come back to this photo whenever you need a boost
- Estimate the number of students who stop by the station to engage with the selfie station
- Did anyone share how this inspired them to try using positive affirmations? Success!
- Did you observe students having fun and connecting over the station? Awesome!
- How did participating in the affirmation selfie station make you feel?
- What are other ways our OMM club could help students learn more about the importance of positive affirmations?