Our stories of strength: a culturally responsive positive psychology experience for adolescents in schools

<i>Our Stories of Strength</i>, a developmentally aligned, culturally responsive positive psychology intervention, is designed for small groups of adolescents in school settings. Grounded in Covitality, a positive psychology-derived theoretical framework, and incorporating youth voice strategies, it centers the process of integrating life experiences into a narrative of strength, endurance, and resilience. This pilot study employs narrative research techniques to document how, over the course of two years of program participation, three adolescent participants interpreted program components, applied program-inspired insights, and perceived the program's impact on their well-being. Qualitative coding of project artifacts revealed seven themes: (1) building intentional community, (2) embracing vulnerability, (3) developing mindful presence, (4) developing agency, confidence, and courage, (5) reflecting on adult allyship, (6) exploring the narrated identity, and (7) considering the future and the nature of change. Each theme is described, and future directions for expanding the program and evaluating its impact are outlined.