Positively Rolling

The Positively Rolling program was born from a direct need in our community to support healthy self-esteem and resiliency in teenage boys. It started out as a small pilot project for SELS middle school boys and it was such a success that it expanded to Alder Creek Middle School, North Tahoe School and Forest Charter School. We are a very grassroots program under the fiscal umbrella of SELS that has depended on the generous contributions of individual donors and small grants over the last five years.

The goal of Positively Rolling is to increase the confidence, social connections and support for middle school students. Positively Rolling enhances strong character development in 7th grade youth through the mediums of mentoring, discussion and skateboard art. We strive to make authentic connections with the students by creating a fun, open space where they can talk about their feelings and express themselves.

Positively Rolling is a 5-week enrichment program for middle school aged students that promotes positive character development and fosters connections through meaningful discussions and skateboard art. The program takes a non-traditional approach to helping young adolescents find their voices, express themselves and learn new skills to deal with life's challenges. The youths’ response to this program has been overwhelmingly positive and our program has continued to serve students in our local middle schools for the last 9 years. Since starting the program in 2013, over 700 middle school boys have completed the PR program and as a result, have connected with positive male role models, shared with their peers, expressed themselves via skateboard artwork and learned new skills to build their resiliency. 

We are excited to announce that this year we will begin facilitating Positively Rolling to all 7th grade students to better serve the mental health needs of all youth.

Positively Rolling teaches youth that it is ok to express their emotions, reach out for help and stay true to themselves. It is one of the few programs in our community that focuses on building healthy connections and supports for middle school boys.

The Positively Rolling Program strives to achieve the following programmatic outcomes for 7th grade students who participate in our program:

1. Participants will have increased social connections, self-esteem and self-confidence.
2. Participants will deepen their ability to creatively express themselves.
3. Participants will improve their communication skills and learn to seek out support when needed.
4. Participants will strengthen their core values and have a greater sense of who they are in the world.