The 1214 Foundation’s character building (ARC) and performing arts (NewArts) programs were founded to provide Newtown’s youth with an empowered path forward following the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. This paper is intended to dovetail 1214’s existing programs with the empirically-based tenants of positive psychology. First, the Situation Analysis outlines the structure of the ARC program and 1214’s place in the nonprofit sector. Second, the Literature Review builds an empirically sound Theory of Change (TOC) for the ARC Program. This section aligns ARC’s goals of “recognizing strengths”, “regulating emotion”, and “building confidence” with the empirical constructs of self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. These constructs are then organized as pathways linked to the outcomes of grit, resilience, and post-traumatic growth, and the ultimate impact of flourishing. Lastly, the Application Plan outlines an assessment protocol that, along with the Theory of Change, will help 1214 both deliver their programs more effectively and communicate their impact more compellingly.