Skills for Life
Skills for Life
Skills for Life is a prevention program offered to 4th grade students. This program utilizes the LifeSkills Training© LST curriculum. LST is a research proven school-based prevention program and is uniquely designed, proven effective, and grounded in over 20 years of research. Rather than simply teaching information about drugs, LST combats the underlying causes of substance use. This highly effective curriculum has been proven to help increase self-esteem, develop healthy attitudes, and improve knowledge of essential life skills – all of which promote healthy and positive personal development.
How It Works
Youth First trains high school students to as peer facilitators to teach the program during the school day to 4th grade students. The program is taught once a week for eight consecutive weeks. The LST program consists of three major components. Students who develop these skills are far less likely to engage in risky behaviors.
- Personal Self-Management Skills
Students develop skills that enhance self-esteem, develop problem-solving skills, help them reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger. - General Social Skills
Students gain skills to meet personal challenges such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships, and avoiding violence. - Drug Resistance Skills
Students build effective defenses against pressures to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
The Results
The results of over a dozen studies published in major scientific journals consistently show that the LifeSkills Training program dramatically reduces tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. These studies further show that the program works with a diverse range of youth, produces results that are long lasting, and is effective when taught by teachers, peer leaders, or health professionals.
Recognition
Leading Prevention experts and educators worldwide have put the Botvin LifeSkills Training prevention approach and curricula to the test. In fact, because it has been selected for the highest honors by more government agencies than other prevention program, LifeSkills Training is in the distinct position of being the top-research based prevention program in the country.
Botvin LifeSkills Training is selected for prevention excellence by:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- White House Office of Drug Policy
- U.S. Department of Education
- American Medical Association
- American Psychological Association
- National Center for Disease Control
- Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
- Drug Strategies, Inc.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy
Youth First's Role
Youth First works in collaboration with area schools to recruit peer facilitators, to secure funding and to insure the highest quality coordination and implementation. Youth First Provides:
- LifeSkills Facilitator Training
- Ongoing coordination and support to those involved in the LifeSkills program
- Assists with seeking funding and sources to sustain the program
- On going technical assistance for facilitators
- Budgetary tracking
- Marketing materials
- Program curriculum and student workbooks
Thank you so much to our generous Life Savers supporters:
