Service Learning Projects

The Connection Cookbook is a curated set of interventions designed to generate momentum in volunteer engagement at Face to Face, a nonprofit organization serving the unhoused population in Germantown, Philadelphia. The initiative emphasizes strengthening connections through enhanced communication, interaction, structure, and recognition. From a menu of evidence-informed options, Face to Face selected three core strategies to implement: a quarterly email newsletter, structured rituals to open and close volunteer shifts, and a volunteer appreciation event. The accompanying "Cookbook" includes sample newsletter content, templates for rituals, an event agenda, evaluation guidance, and additional unselected intervention options for future consideration. These strategies are low-cost, relatively simple to execute, and can be delegated mainly to members of Face to Face's robust yet underutilized volunteer base—thereby minimizing the additional burden on the already overstretched Volunteer Manager at Face to Face.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

The Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition aims to foster individual, workplace, and community wellbeing. To support this mission, we designed the Leader Wellbeing Training (LWT), a research-based intervention equipping leaders to embed wellbeing practices within their organizations. Grounded in positive psychology, the LWT integrates the PEMRAH framework, the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-being, and the APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace model. Through a three-part workshop series, leaders engage in experiential learning, strengths-based reflection, and systems-informed approaches to drive sustainable culture change. The program emphasizes psychological safety, modeling vulnerability, and practical application, empowering leaders to cultivate environments where employees can thrive. This paper describes the Coalition’s context, relevant literature, and the intervention’s design, while addressing limitations such as time constraints, cultural resistance, and sustainability challenges. We propose the next steps for piloting and scaling the program, with a focus on continuous improvement and measurable outcomes. By educating and empowering leaders, this initiative advances the Coalition’s vision of creating a thriving, inclusive community where everyone feels good, struggles well, and functions effectively.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

This project outlines four targeted, research-informed interventions to promote cultural adaptation, psychological wellbeing, and social belonging among international exchange participants engaged through Cultural Vistas. Drawing on positive psychology and cross-cultural research, the intervention design integrates core theories of agency, self-efficacy, self-determination, resilience, high-quality connections, and mattering. Addressing both individual and community-level needs, the program includes: (1) Resilience and Agency Training Workshops that build cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and self-directed coping strategies; (2) Virtual Networking Events that foster high-quality connections, peer support, and psychological safety; (3) Online Success Story Platforms that amplify alumni narratives to promote self-efficacy, optimism, and a sense of shared growth; and (4) Seasonal Wellness Challenges that enhance engagement, wellbeing, and cross-cultural understanding through gamified activities like mindfulness and physical movement. Designed to align with Cultural Vistas’ operational model, each intervention includes facilitator guides, adaptable materials, and tools to assess participant wellbeing. Together, these interventions aim to empower participants as proactive agents in their intercultural journeys while cultivating the psychological and social-cultural resources needed to thrive as global leaders.

Across the country, the sustainability of small private colleges is threatened by declining enrollment, increased operating costs and reduced fundraising revenue. Paul Smith’s College (PSC) is taking an innovative approach to differentiate itself in this competitive market. A bold strategic plan and team of mission-driven employees have PSC positioned for a promising future. The college is looking to proactively support employees’ wellbeing through this period of change by focusing on building community. This project, Building Community at PSC, uses evidence-based positive psychology practices to systematically rebuild the sense of community, value, and purpose among faculty, staff and leadership. After completing a baseline employee assessment, a World Café event will engage staff in describing what PSC looks like at its best. This process will help PSC articulate a concise set of values that create pride and a shared identity by answering the question, “What makes a Smitty a Smitty?” Building Community at PSC provides a road map for an ongoing culture change journey while also providing some immediate “quick wins” through gratitude traditions.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

This project applies the principles of positive psychology to support teacher wellbeing and professional sustainability at a K-12 school in Melbourne, Australia. As the school navigates a period of significant transition, teachers are under increasing pressure. Recognizing that teacher resilience plays a key role in sustaining staff, student, and community thriving, it was identified as the central focus of this initiative. Drawing on academic research, resilience was narrowed down to three core domains: connection, optimism, and mental agility. While all three are essential to fostering individual and collective resilience, the final product, Resilience Academy Workbook, ended up going deep into the connection domain, exploring how everyday relational practices can shape culture, reduce stress and burnout, promote belonging—and increase resilience. The outcome is a practical, research-informed workbook designed specifically for teachers, offering flexible, low-burden strategies through connection, laying the groundwork for future work across the other two domains.

How do people with disabilities (PWDs) gain the psychological resources to enter or re-enter the workforce? Work is a critical source of mattering and self-efficacy, and unemployment impoverishes wellbeing. However, there are significant hurdles to finding and maintaining appropriate employment. Working at a level that impacts one’s disability benefits is a decision with financial implications. The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (VA DARS) and their partner Work Incentive Specialist Advocates (WISAs) help PWDs navigate financial questions that can arise when pursuing employment while receiving government disability benefits. Research suggests that self-efficacy, optimism, positive self-narrative, and social support are key ingredients to psychologically pave the way to work for PWDs. This project seeks to equip the VA DARS and their partners with evidence-informed interventions adapted to their audience and context that target these pivotal psychological resources. Recommendations to implement three well-validated positive psychology interventions, Three Good Things, My Life Story, and Best Possible Self, along with success stories from peers, are detailed. Options are provided to fit each intervention to time and interaction constraints surfaced during interviews to support evidence-informed targeting of the intended outcomes during adaptation. Suggested tools for measuring the effectiveness of the interventions in increasing desired employment outcomes and the targeted psychological resources are included.

From Classroom to Living Room: ThinkGive’s Pathway to Family Flourishing is a school-to-home initiative designed to increase children's social-emotional development and wellbeing by strengthening parental involvement in ThinkGive’s existing social and emotional learning programs. The project features a comprehensive parent landing page for ThinkGive's website that directs parents to 17 research-based interventions, informed by positive psychology, across three areas: emotional regulation, high-quality connections, and resilience building. Each intervention is tailored to either parent-only application or parent-child interaction, acknowledging the time constraints faced by families, particularly in under-resourced communities. This project provides a complete resource package including a website landing page design, detailed intervention descriptions, implementation guidance, and supporting research rationale. The intervention materials emphasize strength-based approaches that recognize and nurture positive qualities in parents and children, fostering upward spirals of wellbeing through mindfulness practices, character strengths identification, and collaborative activities. The implications of this work include enhanced understanding of the interplay between school-based SEL programs and home reinforcement, potentially addressing the gap identified by research showing parents are rarely formally involved in children's SEL development despite being primary influencers. These interventions are designed with minimal resource requirements. They are expandable across different age groups and family structures, serving dual purposes of supporting child development while helping ThinkGive expand their parent engagement database.

This service learning project proposes a research-informed, positive parenting program tailored to the needs of Dedham Country Day School (DCD), a high-achieving K–8 independent school in Massachusetts. Informed by the school’s expressed concerns about rising parental anxiety, early student attrition, and the intensification of toxic achievement culture, the program applies principles from positive psychology—including strengths-based parenting, growth mindset theory, mindfulness, and the construct of mattering—to foster resilience and wellbeing among students and their families. Through a multi-component intervention model, the program equips parents with tools to reduce pressure, strengthen emotional bonds, and reframe success through a developmental lens. Drawing on recent empirical studies and best practices in family-school partnerships, the initiative supports DCD’s mission to provide holistic education while addressing the sociocultural and psychological challenges facing high-achieving communities. Evaluation strategies and implementation guidance are included to support ongoing adaptation and sustainability of the program.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

This project addresses the urgent workforce transition challenges facing Midland, Michigan. Baby Boomer retirements, a lack of structured workforce capabilities, and a Gen Z talent exodus threaten regional business continuity. Partnering with the Midland Business Alliance (MBA), our team conducted a situational analysis and comprehensive literature review, then designed four positive psychology–based professional development tools. They are tailored to the MBA’s diverse 3,000-member businesses and leverage existing strengths of credibility, diverse membership, and advocacy expertise. These positive interventions, the Legacy Transition Program, Cross-Generational Mentorship, Intergenerational Teams, and Appreciative Inquiry Summits, aim to preserve institutional knowledge, foster high-quality connections, cultivate mattering across generations, and create new innovative possibilities. In turn, the benefits to each participating MBA member organization include increased engagement, productivity, and retention. The proposed toolkits offer low-cost, scalable, and context-sensitive solutions, grounded in evidence-based frameworks such as character strengths, job crafting, mattering, high-quality connections, and psychological safety. Our approach aligns with MBA’s mission to support economic development while enhancing employee wellbeing, leadership continuity, and organizational resilience. Together, these strategies reframe retirement not as an endpoint but as an opportunity for thriving employee-organization, employee-employee relationships, and intergenerational collaboration.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

This paper presents two positive psychology-based interventions designed to preserve and scale the magic of Destiny Arts Center, an arts organization serving young people in Oakland, CA. The first intervention, The Magic Revealed, is a flipbook that links Destiny's core values to positive psychology principles like resilience, mattering, and high-quality connections. This tool helps internal and external audiences understand and articulate Destiny's impact. The second intervention, a deck of Magic Cards, provides prompts for daily staff interactions to foster high-quality connections and promote a sense of mattering. These simple, tech-free cards are designed to create opportunities for reflection and connection in routine interactions. Both interventions aim to preserve and amplify Destiny's unique organizational culture, building trust and engagement among staff and the community. The effectiveness of these tools can be assessed through qualitative feedback and surveys, offering valuable insights for future efforts to sustain an effective, mission-driven culture. The implications of this work include demonstrating how to identify, communicate, and sustain positive psychology practices within an organization. Additionally, the project offers simple, flexible interventions that can enhance mattering and interpersonal connection as well as reinforce team members’ sense of purpose and mission, particularly in environments with nontraditional staffing structures.

The Board of Pardons and Parole (BOPP) has a highly engaged and well-supported workforce that is dedicated to navigating the complexities of decision-making designed to promote public safety and justice. The BOPP Compass Summit is designed to bring together all BOPP staff and board members to co-create the organization’s future direction, reinforce shared values, deepen cross-functional connections, and build upon existing strengths. Structured as a series of interactive workshops and exercises, the summit can be delivered as a single multi-hour event or broken up into a series of 60–90-minute sessions to foster high-quality connections, psychological safety, and strengths-based leadership across BOPP.

This paper provides a detailed overview of the summit’s design, including a facilitator guide and implementation playbook for each component. This paper also provides a detailed overview of recommended pre- and post-summit interventions to support sustained impact. The implications of this work highlight how principles of positive psychology, organizational behavior, and strengths-based leadership, alongside moments of connection and play, can meaningfully support the wellbeing and culture of those working in the criminal justice system. We’ve intentionally designed the BOPP Compass Summit as a low-cost, high-impact investment that can serve as a repeatable model for the organization and can also be modified and scaled to serve multiple domains.

This service-learning project focuses on expanding positive psychology programs developed by Discovering My Purpose (DMP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the escalating anxiety and purpose confusion among Generation Z. DMP has created several comprehensive programs, including the “In Pursuit of Purpose” online training program and a peer-to-peer program. The peer-to-peer program has been implemented in PUENTE at Foothill College, demonstrating reduced anxiety and improved understanding of personal purpose. Our situation analysis identified community colleges as the target population and the decision-makers as crucial to scaling up the programs. We introduced three interventions for DMP: strategic outreach conversations, a reflective two-part workshop, and a PowerPoint template for conversion discussions. These interventions are grounded in positive psychology principles and correspond to the Marketing Funnel’s awareness, consideration, and conversion stages. This project provides DMP with an effective tool to navigate the marketing funnel process and engage decision-makers with the program.

See the full service learning project on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.