Although resiliency research has identified characteristics (e.g., high self-esteem, a sense of self-efficacy, problem-solving skills) that provide protection to at-risk children, these findings have emerged from studies based on cohorts dissimilar to the urban populations to whom they are now applied. Promoting resiliency in urban, predominantly African American children requires the reinterpretation of those constructs, recognizing the unique cultural circumstances affecting urban youths, as a result of historical factors. Project SELF fortifies students' cultural identity with the knowledge of the greatness of their ancestors and their own biological and cultural inheritances from those ancestors. By focusing on their individual talents and energy, students are empowered to affect their own futures and are provided with community-relevant problem-solving skills. The results of a pilot fourth-grade study in an inner-city public school, using a pre/post control group design, demonstrate that Project SELF produces dramatic improvements in children's knowledge of the curriculum and, as a result, in their self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social problem-solving skills.
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