Lido Elementary School has introduced the Beautiful Me program this school year as a way to enhance confidence and happiness among girls. As part of the Hance Family Foundation’s Self-Esteem Rising suite, the curriculum supports the district’s social emotional learning endeavors.

Assistant Principal Sharon Weiss and Social Worker Sally Keiser held multiple small group training series for third, fourth and fifth grade girls. They featured various activities and discussions over three sessions held on consecutive days. Participants focused on positive body image by identifying their strengths and chose ten adjectives to describe themselves during a “Be Your Own Super Hero” exercise that promoted self-awareness. On the final day, the students experienced giving and accepting compliments when they each wrote down compliments for themselves and classmates.

According to the Hance Family Foundation, which honors the lives of Emma, Alyson and Katie Hance, Beautiful Me was designed to strengthen self-esteem, increase positive body awareness, improve problem-solving and to help build healthy relationship skills for women and girls of all ages.