<![CDATA[ABSTRACT Character strengthening through the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) is an important component of learning that encourages students to experience character values through meaningful activities. However, its implementation in schools may encounter differences in student characteristics, limited resources, and activity dynamics that affect student participation. This study aims to analyze the implementation of P5 as an effort to strengthen student character at SMP Negeri 1 Mandrehe Utara, identify the challenges encountered, and describe the efforts made by the school to address them. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving six informants consisting of the principal, one teacher, and four students. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed through data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that P5 was implemented through planning, implementation, and evaluation stages, involving students in environmental cleaning, mutual cooperation, group work, discussions, task distribution, and creative activities. The main challenges involved differences in students’ abilities and levels of responsibility, limited facilities, materials, equipment, and time, group dynamics, task comprehension, and environmental conditions. The school addressed these challenges through coordination, adaptive planning, student mentoring, grouping, task distribution, utilization of available resources, guidance, discussion, and evaluation. These findings confirm that P5 has the potential to strengthen student character when managed adaptively according to students’ needs and school conditions. ABSTRAK Penguatan karakter melalui Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5) menjadi bagian penting dalam pembelajaran yang mengarahkan siswa untuk mengalami nilai-nilai karakter melalui kegiatan nyata. Namun, pelaksanaan P5 di sekolah dapat menghadapi perbedaan karakteristik siswa, keterbatasan sumber daya, serta dinamika kegiatan yang memengaruhi keterlibatan siswa. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis implementasi P5 sebagai upaya menguatkan karakter siswa di SMP Negeri 1 Mandrehe Utara, mengidentifikasi kendala yang muncul, serta mendeskripsikan upaya sekolah dalam mengatasinya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan enam informan yang terdiri atas kepala sekolah, satu guru, dan empat siswa. Data diperoleh melalui observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi, kemudian dianalisis melalui tahapan pengumpulan, reduksi, penyajian, serta penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa P5 dilaksanakan melalui perencanaan, pelaksanaan, dan evaluasi dengan melibatkan siswa dalam kebersihan lingkungan, gotong royong, kerja kelompok, diskusi, pembagian tugas, dan pembuatan karya. Kendala terutama berkaitan dengan perbedaan kemampuan dan tanggung jawab siswa, keterbatasan sarana, bahan, alat, dan waktu, dinamika kelompok, pemahaman tugas, serta kondisi lingkungan. Sekolah merespons kendala melalui koordinasi, penyesuaian perencanaan, pendampingan, pengelompokan, pembagian tugas, pemanfaatan sumber daya yang tersedia, pemberian arahan, diskusi, dan evaluasi. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa P5 berpotensi menguatkan karakter apabila dikelola secara adaptif sesuai kebutuhan siswa dan kondisi sekolah.]]>
