Through its Skills for Life initiative, the Consortium is encouraging a commitment to positive youth development and to helping students to build skills to enhance their self-esteem, learn creative problem-solving, reduce stress and manage anger.

The program addresses troubling issues faced by adolescents: drug, alcohol or tobacco use, over- exposure to violence in the media, peer pressure. All of these come to bear on young people in a new way as they transition from elementary to middle school and then to high school and beyond.

Skills for Life can provide educators with the tools to change the culture of schools and tackle these issues head-on.

HOW CAN SKILLS FOR LIFE HELP YOU?
It integrates social and emotional learning into the curriculum. Schools that not only support but also educate youth in good decision-making will improve their chances of changing the culture of their schools.

To assist educators, the Consortium is extending the opportunity for students to participate in the LifeSkills Training program. The program is offered to Grades 3 to 10 in Allegheny County and Grades 6 to 9 outside of Allegheny County.

THE LIFESKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM
The LifeSkills Training for Elementary Schools is a comprehensive program for students in Grades 3 to 6. It is designed to increase self-esteem, develop healthy attitudes, and improve knowledge of essential life skills, all of which promote healthy and positive personal development.

The LifeSkills Training for Middle School aimed at helping students resist drug, alcohol and tobacco use and at reducing violence and other high-risk behavior. The program is geared to students in Grades 6 to 9 and focuses on personal self-management skills, general social skills and drug-resistance skills. It uses a combination of coaching with peer-interaction and teacher-led activities to strengthen students’ positive decision-making.

The LifeSkills Training for High School is designed to promote positive health and personal development for youth in 9th or 10th grade. It helps young adults navigate the challenges of the high school years and prepares them for the transition to work or college and the independence and responsibilities that the future brings.

Skills for Life Coordinator Jennifer Sethman describes the curriculum as “just the beginning of a movement of school and family awareness to support positive youth development” and adds:

“We hope that a team of educators will implement the program as a part of their elementary, middle or high school curriculum. Schools may choose to integrate the curriculum into core subject areas, as a supplement to existing curricula or as they deem appropriate to fulfill their needs.”

By crossing disciplines in the delivery, there is a better chance that the climate of the entire school will show support for healthy decision-making, Sethman explained. Teachers can be part of a team that takes on responsibility for specific lessons. The program can be aligned with the Pennsylvania State Standards and can satisfy the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s health education requirements.

Teachers’ manuals, student materials and program support are offered to schools free of cost. Trained Consortium staff are available to come to schools and meet with teachers to discuss how this program can be beneficial to students. Act 48 credit is offered for training and there are opportunities for mini-grants to increase the impact of the Skills for Life program.

For more information or to schedule a meeting, contact Jennifer Sethman, Program Coordinator at 412-678-9215 Ext. 209 or jsethman@tcfpe.org.

The “web of support” is one of the exercises included in LifeSkills training sessions.

First POPs Grants Awarded
The Consortium has awarded the first-ever Power of Peers (POP) grants and is taking applications for the next round of awards. The first winning applicants, from seven schools, addressed issues ranging from trust and communications among students, saying no to tobacco use, teen pregnancy, appropriate role models, character awareness, and healthy lifestyles. Click here for a complete list of the awardees.