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Sangha
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FLOURISH PROGRAM
INTRODUCTION
In today's society and more so in the one of tomorrow, success is based on confidence, autonomy and the ability to create relationships. The true measure of a state wellbeing is considered one that tracks how well that state serves its nation especially its youth, ensuring their wellbeing that gives them the sense of being loved, valued and genuinely included in the family and society in which they were born. Mastering emotions and developing relationship skills are considered vital in this century of change.
Especially that we live in an Artificially driven world coupled with Covid, the job market is changing forever, shedding the light on the importance of emotional intelligence, which unfortunately been accounted as a secondary priority. So how can we change the old narrative of development and revolutionize the education system in a manner that raises and empowers active and conscious citizens and future leaders. One that reflects the desired future and reality we wish for ourselves and generations to come. One that serves the people, the planet and a prosperous economy in a harmonious manner.
Hence, Sangha “Estidama Hub’s” Flourish program for students in Saudi Arabia is designed to assist students better understand who they are, their purpose, their potential, their role and responsibilities towards themselves and others in a holistic manner, especially in a time of a pandemic, but also most importantly how to move forward from this pandemic, dream and design a well and a more sustainable future for themselves and others. The program aims to support schools, universities and the Saudi government in raising an empowered, thriving and conscious nation and future leaders in the best manner that would support a thriving wellbeing economy.
THE SCIENCE
“Positive psychology takes you through the countryside of pleasure and gratification, up into the high country of strength and virtue, and finally to the peaks of lasting fulfillment, meaning and purpose.”
-Seligman, 2002
What is Seligman’s PERMA model?
P
E
R
M
A
Positive Emotions
Engagement
Positive Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishments
FlOURISH PROGRAM
First Session
Storytelling Circle
Community Connection
Duration: 3hrs
Overview: This activity uses storytelling as a process of empowerment in which participants’ voices and experiences are affirmed and we build community and solidarity. It is also an introduction to listening and documenting skills.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to experience the power of storytelling in amplifying voices and building connections among those often not heard.
Background information: For any group that is marginalized and whose stories are not heard or valued, storytelling is an effective way for people to empower themselves by sharing their own stories in place of the stories told about them. It also allows us to build community and solidarity in our organizations and movements — as we hear each other’s experiences and understand better how we can learn from and relate to one another in the fight for justice. The more we share our stories, the more it will become the norm that youths’ stories are important and valuable. By telling our stories, we affirm their importance and create more space for others to tell theirs.
Second Session
Creativity Amplified: What would
this item be if I were an alien?
Element: Positive Emotions
Duration: 2hrs
Overview: This activity is inspired by Alice Isen of Cornell’s and uses her positive emotion and creativity experiment as a guide to facilitate the session coupled with additional activities that trigger positive emotions.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to experience positive emotions, teach them ways to enhance their wellbeing and reduce negative emotions. As well as boosting their creativity. According to research, increasing positive emotions can also help individuals build physical, intellectual, psychological, and social resources that lead to resilience and overall wellbeing.
Background information: Positive emotion is much more than mere ‘happiness.’ As it includes hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, pride, amusement, and gratitude. They are a prime indicator of flourishing, and they can be cultivated or learned to improve wellbeing (Fredrickson, 2001). When individuals can explore, savor, and integrate positive emotions into daily life (and visualizations of future life), it improves habitual thinking and acting. Positive emotions can undo the harmful effects of negative emotions and promote resilience (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004). Additionally, many researchers have definitively shown that positive emotions cause boost creativity.
Third Session
Strength Finder
Element: Engagement
Duration: 2hrs
Overview: This activity uses storytelling, reflection, visualization, affirmation and identification of character strengths as a tool to reach a state of flow and engagement.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to reach a state of flow and engagement, identify their character strengths and enhance their self-awareness and life/work satisfaction.
Background information: According to Seligman (2012), engagement is “being one with the music.” It is in line with Csikszentmihalyi’s (1989) concept of “flow.” Flow includes the loss of self- consciousness and complete absorption in an activity. In other words, it is living in the present moment and focusing entirely on the task at hand. Flow, or this concept of engagement, occurs when the perfect combination of challenge and skill/strength is found (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989). People are more likely to experience flow when they use their top character strengths. Research on engagement has found that individuals who try to use their strengths in new ways each day for a week were happier and less depressed after six months (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
Fourth Session
Role Play: Fake it till you make it
Element: Positive Relationships
Duration: 2hrs
Overview: This ac'vity uses role play as a fun and interac've process to learn to differen'ate the 4 response styles and ways to cul'vate ac've construc've response styles to benefits from building stronger and healthier rela'onships.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to differentiate the 4 response styles and ways to cultivate active constructive response styles to benefits from building stronger and healthier relationships. According to research, responding enthusiastically to others, particularly in close or intimate relationships, increases intimacy, wellbeing, and satisfaction.
Background information: Relationships encompass all the various interactions individuals have with partners, friends, family members, colleagues, bosses/mentors/supervisors, and their community at large. Relationships in the PERMA model refer to feeling supported, loved, and valued by others. Relationships are included in the model based on the idea that humans are inherently social creatures (Seligman, 2012). There is evidence of this everywhere, but social connections become particularly important as we age.
The social environment has been found to play a critical role in preventing cognitive decline, and strong social networks contribute to better physical health among older adults (Siedlecki, Salthouse, Oishi, & Jeswani, 2014). Many people have a goal of improving relationships with those they are closest to. Research has demonstrated that sharing good news or celebrating success fosters strong bonds and better relationships (Siedlecki et al., 2014). Additionally, responding enthusiastically to others, particularly in close or intimate relationships, increases intimacy, wellbeing, and satisfaction.
Fifth Session
Identify your purpose: If you
have life you have purpose
Element: Meaning
Duration: 2hrs
Overview: This activity uses letters, reflection, affirmations and interviews as a process to identify one’s life purpose and adopt a growth mindset and perspective to oneself and the world.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to boost a sense of value and worth, adopt a growth mindset, enhance resilience and optimism. According to research, people who report having a purpose in life live longer and have greater life satisfaction and fewer health problems.
Background information: Another intrinsic human quality is the search for meaning and the need to have a sense of value and worth. Seligman (2012) discussed meaning as belonging and/or serving something greater than ourselves. Having a purpose in life helps individuals focus on what is really important in the face of significant challenges or adversity.
Having meaning or purpose in life is different for everyone. Meaning may be pursued through a profession, a social or poli)cal cause, a creative endeavor, or a religious/spiritual belief. It may be found in a career or through extracurricular, volunteer, or community activities
Sixth Session
Flourish: Repotting the
seeds of your mind
Element: Accomplishment
Duration: 3hrs 30mins
Overview: This activity uses planting as a process to set goals and identify best practices to nourish them and achieve them.
Purpose: This activity enables participants to identify the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset, set SMART goals, learn planning strategies to achieve their goals and as a result boost their wellbeing and sense of pride.
Background information: Accomplishment in PERMA is also known as achievement, mastery, or competence. A sense of accomplishment is a result of working toward and reaching goals, mastering an endeavor, and having self-motivation to finish what you set out to do. This contributes to wellbeing because individuals can look at their lives with a sense of pride (Seligman, 2012).
Accomplishment includes the concepts of perseverance and having a passion to attain goals. But flourishing and wellbeing come when accomplishment is tied to striving toward things with an internal motivation or working toward something just for the sake of the pursuit and improvement (Quinn, 2018). Achieving intrinsic goals (such as growth and connection) leads to larger gains in wellbeing than external goals such as money or fame (Seligman, 2013).
METHODOLOGY
Sangha utilizes a holistic, non-formal, interactive learning as a mean to assist future leaders to have better understanding and relationship with their selves and surrounding; in a manner that help them raise their awareness of their wellbeing, which is the core source of every human’s success.
BENEFITS OF FLOURISH PROGRAM ON PARTICIPANTS
CAREER
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Learn how to unleash their human potential, identify their strengths and capabilities and utilize them to achieve their goals and live a life of purpose
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Increasing a person's opportunities and choices in life
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Make a successful move to the next stage of education or work
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Apply their mental, emotional, social and physical skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle
SKILLS
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Develop socio-emotional literacy, learning to manage feelings, to build relationships, and understand others’ emotions
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Develop the relevant abilities to express feelings in a healthy way, managing emotional and physical stress, and seeking assistance if necessary. As a result, tolerance, respect and understanding of others’ differences and emotions are promoted.
QUALITY OF LIFE
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Make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing
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Experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves
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Establish a pattern of health and wellbeing that will be sustained into adult life, and which will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Saudi children
OVERLL
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Raise and empower conscious citizens and future leaders
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Support achieving the SDG 3, 5, 11 and 16
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Support achieving Saudi Vision 2030