THE SELF-EX GUIDE
Adversity, uncertainty, or vulnerability are inevitable. The SELF-Ex™ Method has been awarded as a top solution in an international competition to address adverse situations assertively, responsibly, and confidently. The SELF-Ex™ process is comprised of five simple steps to strengthen self-worth and be your best self!
ABOUT THE PROJECT
SELF-Ex received a top global award for managing adversity responsibly and confidently.
“SELF-Ex: An Interactive Guide to Address Adversity Responsibly” received a top award in a global competition. “In response to the COVID-19 challenges facing students the USC Center EDGE, Andrew Nikou Foundation, and IDEO formed The Education (Re)Open challenge, aimed to develop the Education Solutions Exchange, a public repository of high-quality, accessible solutions to help schools navigate the obstacles they face returning this fall. The Education Solutions Exchange is an exciting outgrowth of what we learned early in the pandemic—that creative, relevant and relatively simple solutions can bring a quantifiable voice to those on the front lines of education, and can have impact in timely, effective and efficient ways,” says Alan Arkatov, director and founder of Center EDGE.
ABOUT THE SELF-EX AWARD
SELF-Ex received a top global award for managing adversity responsibly and confidently: “SELF-Ex: An Interactive Guide to Address Adversity Responsibly” received a top award in a global competition. “In response to the COVID-19 challenges facing students the USC Center EDGE, Andrew Nikou Foundation, and IDEO formed The Education (Re)Open challenge, aimed to develop the Education Solutions Exchange, a public repository of high-quality, accessible solutions to help schools navigate the obstacles they face returning this fall. The Education Solutions Exchange is an exciting outgrowth of what we learned early in the pandemic—that creative, relevant and relatively simple solutions can bring a quantifiable voice to those on the front lines of education, and can have impact in timely, effective and efficient ways,” says Alan Arkatov, director and founder of Center EDGE.
WHAT IS SELF?
The SELF method is a proprietary tool developed through collaborative efforts of community members and Deeds by Kids volunteers. SELF has been an ongoing project with a goal to publish books. The books will entail stories of kids (mine & my friends) in sticky situations and will include tools and techniques as to how one should manage adversity. The stories collected are associated with diverse categories of bullying such as cyber bullying, name calling, and physical abuse.Through the SELF project, I realized that the key to bullying having the proper tools to speak up assertively and act responsibly. Learning how to navigate through the tough waters of adversity makes an individual stronger.
We started with a simple mission to help our peers manage bullying. As we realized the complexity of the project, it evolved, needing expertise for various tasks.
THE SELF PROJECT PROCESS
- Formed a group of friends interested in the project
- Developed a plan to collect stories
- Created flyers & distributed them
- Built a website with the ‘Share Your Story’ module
- Sorted & categorized the stories
- Decided on character names & identities
- Rewrote & edited the stories several times
- Interviewed & hired a qualified illustrator
- Created a book layout
STORY CATEGORIES
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
- Personal belonging violations
- Overpowering adults & authorities
- Social media & cyberbullying
Table of Contents
My Mother’s Mirror consists of eight parts. In the first section, Daughter’s Reflections,
I tell my story from adolescence through writing this book. In the other seven sections,
my mother shares her life story and roots from her perspective. Both sections reunite
at the conclusion, whereby one will understand how my mother’s life devoted to
identity-development and resilience shapes my character.
ABOUT THE USC CENTER EDGE AWARD
Being active in my community with compassion and character development have been instilled in me since I was little. Through these projects, I developed my passion for human rights through my heritage and roots, various missions, and a diverse exposure to cultures.
October 24, 2022
CALIFORNIA—The generational story of My Mother’s Mirror reconciles roots with personal experience to shape identity and aspirations. The writing of it in two perspectives—mine and my mom’s—was an experience of a lifetime. It was as if I could see myself clearly in her reflection, feel her feelings, and connect to the amazing woman who I call my best friend; the woman who brought me into this world, the person who has molded me, the person who has made me both her master and masterpiece.
September 26, 2022
“SELF-Ex: An Interactive Guide to Address Adversity Responsibly” received a top award in a global competition. “In response to the COVID-19 challenges facing students the USC Center EDGE, Andrew Nikou Foundation, and IDEO formed The Education (Re)Open challenge, aimed to develop the Education Solutions Exchange, a public repository of high-quality, accessible solutions to help schools navigate the obstacles they face returning this fall. The Education Solutions Exchange is an exciting outgrowth of what we learned early in the pandemic—that creative, relevant and relatively simple solutions can bring a quantifiable voice to those on the front lines of education, and can have impact in timely, effective and efficient ways,” says Alan Arkatov, director and founder of Center EDGE.
August 11, 2022
USC Center EDGE Awardees of the Education Solutions Exchange. Winning entries, chosen in part for their simplicity and ability to immediately impact students’ needs, include:
Mental Health Check In: A simple, low-cost, easily implementable system for students to communicate their emotional wellbeing and give teachers insight into how the class is feeling overall, and in particular to students who may need extra support.
The 3 M’s: Media, Middle School, Mindfulness: A curriculum that teaches students to become more discerning with information seen on the internet, and to determine if it’s coming from a trustworthy source, which is especially critical in light of the disinformation surrounding the pandemic and vaccines.
Core Values in the Community: A program designed to reward students who demonstrate the values of Gratitude, Responsibility, Integrity, and Tenacity, and are given “GRITcoin” that can later be spent on things like raffles and pop-up shops at their schools. The program recognizes that students are anxious about returning to school, and yet they can be inspired to turn those feelings into something positive.
A Trusted Space: a free, cutting-edge, research-based film and curriculum for educators on how to help mitigate the effects of the grief, trauma, anxiety, and other emotional stressors that so many students are facing.
“To embody GRIT: gratitude, responsibility, integrity, and tenacity, students need the safe space provided by resilience groups to voice challenges while embracing and managing their emotions.”