Each cycle of Life Skills Training (LST) consists of eight weekly sessions, each of which is one hour in length. LST has been shown to reduce future drug use and delay the age of first use, as well as increase coping and decision-making skills while reducing truancy and delinquency. LST consists of three major components that impact the critical domains found to be linked to drug use. It has been shown that students who develop skills in these areas are far less likely to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors, including illegal drug use. The three components are: 1) drug resistance skills, including refusal skills; 2) personal self-management skills, including decision-making skills, goal-setting and coping skills; and 3) general social skills, including communication skills and assertiveness skills. This highly interactive program uses discussion, hands-on activities, coaching and practice to enhance students’ self-esteem, feelings of self-efficacy, ability to make decisions, and ability to resist peer and media pressure.
Program Structure Duration: 8 sessions, 45-50 minutes each Grades: Elementary (grades 3-5) Middle (grades 6-8) High School (9-12) Group size: 20-30 students per class
Life Skills Training is aligned to the National Health Education standard and to CASEL's social and emotional (SEL) competencies.