Updated January 2025
What is Positivity Outward?
Positivity Outward (PO) is a nonprofit organzation. The organization’s mission is to empower the success and wellness of students through mentorship. Moment by Positivity Outward is an app that connects high school students to mentors. The mentors guide the students to make progress on their goals. Your child chooses the mentors they need for whatever goals they have.
How does the mentorship program work?
If you agree, your child will be able to use a software application, or app called Moment by Positivity Outward. The app is available on web browsers, tablets, or mobile devices.
When your child logs on to the app, they can search for mentors, then chat or call with their mentors in the app. Your child can have multiple mentors and change their mentors anytime. All mentors are screened and trained, and all communication in the app is monitored for safety. Communication outside the app is not allowed. The app also includes group discussions, reflections, and a Positivity Outward event calendar. Your child can use the app in school as long as the school phone policy is being followed. Your child can use the app after school and on the weekends.
What can the mentors help my child with?
PO mentors use what they have learned from their own experiences and from their training to guide your child. Mentors can provide guidance for academic success, career or professional development, mental health or personal growth, physical or lifestyle health, or relationships and communications.
Mentors cannot provide your child with legal, medical, or certified professional advice. They can share their thoughts but cannot tell your child exactly what to do. Mentors can connect your child to professional services when your child need more than what the mentors can provide.
If your child shares that they are at risk of harming themselves or others or at risk of being harmed by someone, their mentors will share that information with Positivity Outward leadership and professional personnel.
Who are the mentors? How are they screened and trained?
All mentors are volunteers. Most mentors are college students or recent college graduates. They come from several places and are pursuing many different careers. All mentors:
- are screened through an application, interview, and a background check
- complete a 2-hour online training that covers many topics, like effective communication, guiding reflection and action, and the science behind our program
How does Positivity Outward know that the program helps my child?
We ask your child to fill out online surveys before, during, and after using the app and participating in the program. Each survey takes less than 15 minutes. We analyze the surveys to see how your child changes over time. We also look at how your child uses the app (like how many messages they send and when, and what they talk about with your mentors). Your child may be asked to complete a 30-minute interview to share their experience and feedback on the app, mentors, and program.
What personal information do you collect, and how is it protected?
We collect personally identifying information including your child’s name, email, age, and city of residence when they sign up. Data that can identify your child can only be accessed by authorized Positivity Outward personnel using password-protected computers, accounts with two-factor login authentication, and software products that protect data with encryption. Your child can request that their data and account be deleted from the app. For more information, you can review our privacy policy at https://positivityoutward.org/privacy-policy.
By allowing my child to participate in Positivity Outward’s mentoring program on the Moment app, I understand that:
- My child can use the app to call or chat with the mentors that they choose
- My child can build relationships with multiple mentors
- Mentors are volunteers who can provide guidance for my child’s goals
- All communication between mentors and mentees occurs on the app and is monitored for safety
- Mentors and PO will keep all identifying information about my child private, unless your child shares that they are at risk of harming themselves or others, or at risk of being harmed