Strengths Lab

We're glad you found your way here! 
The Strengths Lab at HAWK Hildesheim, led by Prof. Dr. Corinna Ehlers and Jessica Duda, helps students discover their strengths and apply them during their studies, in professional settings, and in everyday life. Through a peer-to-peer approach, students support one another in exploring and developing their strengths. 
The Strengths Lab is a learning and research space where students can actively engage with the theories and methods of strengths-based social work. In practice, students can try out various approaches to exploring strengths, such as the strengths parcours.  
The student staff at the Strengths Lab conduct peer-to-peer programs focused on identifying strengths and setting goals, and support students in their personal development. The Strengths Lab’s programs are integrated into courses or offered as optional workshops. 

•    Design and facilitation of workshops
•    Customized offerings for various settings and courses
•    Integration of strengths-based approaches into everyday academic life, for example, through projects and seminar sessions
•    Development of self-study materials and worksheets that promote a strengths-based perspective on oneself and others

The Strengths Lab is 10 years old!
On June 5, 2026, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Strengths Lab – with a conference that looked not only back but, above all, forward. Together with students, staff, alumni, and practitioners, we explored strengths, shared experiences, and provided new inspiration for strengths-based collaboration. 

The morning began with opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Corinna Ehlers and two keynote speeches.  Jessica Duda introduced the topic of strength-based self-development, and Sascha Janus presented key findings from his bachelor’s thesis on self-motivation. Following that, two mini-workshops led by Prof. Tamara Thomsen and student assistants from the Strengths Lab offered participants the opportunity to experience strengths-based work in practice. The event concluded with a keynote address by Dr. Jan Schametat on the topic “Strengths-Based Approach as a Building Part of Person-Centered Career Guidance.”

• Identifying and Utilizing Resources – Working with the Personal Timeline (Prof. Dr. Tamara Thomsen): Using the timeline or life-line method, participants reflected on their own life stories, thereby bringing to light their existing strengths, challenges they have overcome, supportive experiences, and resources.

• Strengths Parcours and Self-Efficacy (Sara Jorgji & Dennis Karbe, staff members of the Strengths Lab): Under the theme “Hope in Challenging Times,” participants drew on the strengths and resources they had previously identified and translated them into enhanced self-efficacy for dealing with challenging situations.

  
  We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the speakers and participants for an inspiring day, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative work on strengths in the Strengths Lab!
   

Strengths-based work offers opportunities to stimulate learning and self-development. It can foster and support motivational processes. In our work we focus on the principles and working methods of a strengths- and resources-oriented approach. They play important roles in social work.
Strengths-based work is a cornerstone of students’ professional development and is an integral part of the identity formation of (future) professionals in the social and health sciences. Therefore it is crucial to reflect on one’s own strengths.

To give students practical insight into strength-based work, we have developed the Strengths Parcours. It is a method that breaks down the abstract concept of strength into three components: character strengths, skills and talents, and needs. Students are invited to reflect on their strengths individually and in a group setting.  They also reflect on how their areas of strength interact – the so-called “strengths sweet spot.” A workbook and an online tool are available to help with this exploration of strengths. Furthermore, the Strengths Lab offers regularly workshops for self-development and reflection. 

• Workbook
• Flyer
• Grafic
• One-Pager

Would you like to learn more about strengths-based work? Or get to know your own strengths better? We’re happy to offer support on your personal journey of self-discovery. Would you like to support others discover their strengths? We would be be happy to meet with you and talk about designing workshops, seminar sessions, or other programs. Are you interested in working at the Strengths Lab? We welcome new team members who want to contribute their strengths to our team. Just get in touch with us – we look forward to hearing from you.