11:00, 11 December 2020
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
Be Strong, the non-profit empowering youth to prevent bullying, isolation and suicide by igniting positive change in peer behavior through a comprehensive student-led approach, is partnering with technology leader LG Electronics USA to brighten the holidays for youth across America.
The next phase of the partnership - which kicked off last month with the #GiveHappiness campaign - involves using LG technology to help Be Strong student leaders stay connected while giving them the technology to share critical resources with their peers in their communities.
Specifically, as part of its “Life’s Good: Experience Happiness” initiative, LG is providing 100 LG gram laptops to support Be Strong’s student-led, social-emotional wellness efforts, which are needed now more than ever.
“We’re enabling Be Strong student leaders to stay connected and are supporting a range of technology needs, from remote education to helping encourage their work to engage and mobilize activities that advance social and emotional learning skills in their schools and communities.” says Christine Ackerson, director of CSR and sustainability at LG Electronics USA.
“As our program grew throughout 2020, we found that Be Strong students were struggling in their leadership roles, as well as school work, due to a lack of access to technology. Be Strong immediately asked our friends at LG Electronics to help. We asked for 10 laptops and LG is providing 100!” said Ashleigh Cromer, executive director of Be Strong.
As a part of its overall goal of spreading sustainable happiness skills to more than 5.5 million youth through its award-winning Experience Happiness initiative, LG is partnering with Be Strong to help grow their student leader program throughout 2021.
The LG - Be Strong’s #GiveHappiness holiday campaign focuses on practicing, learning and sharing six happiness skills with the goal of creating happier holidays for everyone. Backed by 75 years of scientific research, LG Life’s Good: Experience Happiness program worked with experts in social emotional learning, education and the science of happiness to identify these six skills.
“It’s time to invest in ourselves to increase our capacity to face life’s challenges. #GiveHappiness encourages anyone who wants to create happier holidays for themselves and others to go to LGExperienceHappiness.com/give-happiness/ to download our interactive happiness checklist,” said Cromer. “It’s easy and fun, plus it works! Each week we’re focusing on a different happiness skill that can be tangibly practiced and shared to develop sustainable happiness.”
In a year where many people may not have much to give this holiday season, the gift of happiness is free. A downloadable Happiness Gift Card can be shared in holiday cards, used as stocking stuffers for friends and family plus shared throughout the community to invite friends and family to join in the happiness journey.
“Sometimes parents don’t have all the answers. What’s become abundantly clear to me during these difficult times is what’s essential in life - like human connections that create happiness,” said Theresa Carpenter Beames, parent of a Be Strong student leader.
“These LG Experience Happiness skills give us a chance to imagine what we could be if we are stronger for ourselves and for each other. We can lead from a place of abundance instead of fear, and we are better and stronger together.”
To find out more about Be Strong events and initiatvies, head to BeStrong.global
