Minnesota church helps middle schoolers find strengths

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Andover, Minnesota

Over the years, members of Prairie Oak Community Church of the Nazarene in Andover have helped students and families at Roosevelt Middle School (RMS) with donations of food, personal hygiene items, and other necessities. When the school's needs began changing again, the church devised a new way to reach out to its community.

"Recently, our local school district has been struggling with bullying and identity crisis among our teens," said Prairie Oak church member Melissa Durand. "Within our large district, we have a substantial number of students who are socially isolated from their peers and really have lost their sense of value, which has led to an alarming number of student suicides and self-harm."

Last year, church members offered to join the school's mentoring program. RMS School Counselor Nicki Magaard and the church members conducted a trial run in which a strengths-finder component was added to a mentoring program for six students, who met a couple of times a month. The trial was successful and the new component is now used by all students in the program, which was renamed "Playing to Students' Strengths Mentoring Program."

Magaard said students are selected for the mentoring program based on recommendations from teachers, assistant principals, and herself. Staff members look for students who would benefit from extra interaction with an adult.

"It isn't very often that kids get to hear all about what they are great at and why," Magaard said. "We see it in kids when we start talking about these things; they get bashful and say 'I don't know' when we ask them about areas of strength. To have these conversations and remind kids that they are already good at so many things is a great way to provide encouragement.

"I hope students gain pride in themselves and a respect for their own talents and the unique talents and strengths of others. I also hope they enjoy connecting with adults and peers in a fun, safe environment after school once a month."

Church Pastor Steve Gahagen will soon receive his doctorate in strengths leadership and has worked often with Gallup's StrengthFinder. The tool is the result of Gallup's 30-year research project on strengths. 

"The StrengthsFinder creates a good opportunity for positive conversations," he said. "It provides students a good understanding of themselves and shows them how to articulate their positive strengths. If some students are struggling, this is a way for them to think positively about themselves."

Gahagen uses the children's version of the tool with RMS students. Instead of 34 strengths, the students learn about 10 — achieving, caring, competing, confidence, dependability, discover, future-thinker, organizer, presence, and relating. Students first work in pairs on puzzles to develop teamwork and then work in larger groups, talking about their strengths and interests. Students then meet one-on-one with RMS staff and Prairie Oak church members to discuss recent successes and how their strengths played a part in them.

Gahagen said the six or so church members enjoy working with the RMS students because it is an opportunity to serve the community.

"Those who volunteer probably have strengths of caring and helping," he said. "They like making a difference in the life of someone else, especially for kids at this age. In my work with kids, middle school is a crossroads - it's a make it or break it time."

Durand enjoys helping the students to discover their strengths during a time in their lives when sometimes it's hard to remember they are valued.

"Going through early adolescence and middle school can be a hard time to navigate," Durand said. "If we help them to feel more positive about who they are before they move on to the high school, then we've done our job. And it's fun to hang out with these guys and see the 'aha' moments."

Students have enjoyed their work with StrengthFinders. Nyawal Gatkuoth, an eighth grade student, said the activity is fun.

"I learned my strengths are future-thinker, organizer, and relating," Gatkuoth said. "I was surprised. Doing this work has helped me and my grades are going up."

Erica Swanson, an eighth grade student, likes the program because she can talk about her feelings and she trusts her mentor.

"This is a safe place and I've learned my strengths are confidence, relating, and organizer," she said. "I am happy with the strengths I have; they kind of do define me."

Stephen Wood, an eighth grade student, likes how the StrengthsFinder has helped him explain what he likes. His strengths are future-thinker, competing, and competence. Though not surprised by his strengths, he said the program has helped him "pump up" his grades.

Ron Pavey, a seventh grade student, said he has met a lot of new friends through the program. He appreciates his mentor, Gerth, because she has a good sense of humor.

"I've learned the importance of the themes of the StrenghtsFinder and learning your characteristics," Pavey said. "My strengths are competing, achieving, and discovering. I was very surprised about 'competing' because I don't compete in a lot of things. But they said it means that when you do win, you feel amazing. And that's true, when I do win at something I feel amazing.

"I used to be late with some of my assignments in classes that I wasn't doing well in, but since I've been here I've done a lot better in my classes. I think if people are asked to be part of the mentor program, they should do it; it's a great thing to do."
--NCN News submissions

 

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