Trivselprogram (Wellbeing Program)

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Trivselprogram (Wellbeing Program): Kids Lead Active Play at School

Oslo, Norway
Organization type: 
for profit
Project Stage:
Scaling
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

Trivselprogram is shifting the norms in classrooms across Scandinavia to unleash the active, playful, and empathetic nature of young people. Through a peer-based role modeling approach to recess, TL is building a future where youth consider it “cool to be nice.”

WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"

What if bullying could be reduced through the promotion of healthy living?
About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

The once spirited playground has become a haven for discord, misconduct, and malaise. Children are less active, spending more time playing on video games and mobile devices than interacting with their peers. With such low levels of activity and communication, we are facing a dual problem in our schoolyards and societies: children at risk for major health problems associated with chronic disease and mental health problems associated with bullying;

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

By encouraging young people to engage in physical activity and serve as role models for their classmates, Trivselsprogrammet (TL) creates recess systems for active play in elementary and junior high schools. The program instills regular practice of personal leadership, active play, and teamwork, thus enabling children to create a school environment that is free from verbal and physical bullying, gossip, and ostracism. TL creates pathways for young people to take on leadership roles at recess, practice inclusivity toward their classmates, and create routinely positive experiences centered around physical exercise. As such, TL promotes opportunities for healthy living on the playground while designing a system for schools to reduce bullying.
Impact: How does it Work

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

By using student leaders to model, facilitate, and encourage empathy, TL has jumpstarted the transformation of Scandinavian schools. 97% of TL staff note increased physical activity at recess; 69% feel that student conflict has decreased; and 90% feel that the program is highly effective. Beyond TL staff, as well, administrators, teachers, and even governments have been captivated by the program’s success. Since its founding in 2009, TL has grown to include 820 schools in Norway, 50 in Sweden, and a number in Iceland, with inquiries coming from Denmark, the UK, the Netherlands, Vietnam, and several countries in Africa. As the program makes plans to expand into other countries, it also hopes to incorporate younger students, elderly populations, and multicultural activities, to continue building its empathic network of changemakers, both students and schools.
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

TL employs a fee-for-service model with three-year contracts and annual dues. In order to maintain a low fee, TL uses a school network model that links schools in the same geographic area to ensure the systematic and cost-effective scaling of the model. By integrating meetings of schools closely located together, TL’s scaling lowers costs for schools while promoting a domino effect of participation.

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

Most existing anti-bullying programs enlist schools and adults to lead the reduction efforts, while the children themselves listen on the sidelines. In marked contrast, TL empowers students to be active and reflective changemakers, relying on their empathetic leadership through a unique activity-based methodology. As Activity Leaders, elected students model compassionate behavior, create weekly recess plans, and act as facilitators of inclusive recess activities. Such program design allows teachers to focus on teaching, while cultivating empathy, inclusion, and leadership among youth.
Team

Founding Story

Having teachers for parents and bullies in school, Eide’s interest in human relationships and investment in the education system began at an early age. As a young adult, Eide worked as an athletic instructor for a non-profit expanding access to exercise and began to wonder whether there was a link between his background in physical activity promotion and bullying reduction. Deciding to take action, Eide created an anti-bullying and bullying prevention program, giving lectures to parents and DVDs for students, teachers, and schools. As the program grew to reach 3,000 schools and 160,000 people across Norway, Eide realized the potential of physical activity to simultaneously reduce bullying and promote healthy lifestyles.