life skills for young people

LIFE SKILLS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Tools for youth and social workers

Project PurposeTo develop skills that will enable young people to:

•Deal effectively with the needs and challenges commonly encountered in adult life•Engage in, develop and maintain healthy relationships•Aspire, pursue and achieve goals•Make informed and considered decisions about appropriate activities and behaviours

The Project

• Aimed at MSD funded organisations

• 11 – 17 year olds

• Resources

• Training

• External evaluation

Where to start• Advisory group

• Literature review & review of existing materials

• Needs Assessment

• Outcome focused programme logic

• Resource development

• Pilot project

• Workshops

• Consultancy

• Evaluation

Effective Programmes

• Youth development focus

• Effective theoretical approaches

• Relevant

• Positive and health promoting messages

• Participatory teaching methods

• Provide opportunities for skill building & to Practise, Practise, Practise!

What are skills?

• Skill: ability to do something

• Soft skills: interpersonal skills

• Hard skills: technical skills

What are Life Skills?Life skills are a group of competencies and intrapersonal and interpersonal social skills that help people:

•make informed decisions

•solve problems

•think critically and creatively

•communicate effectively

•build healthy relationships

•empathise with others

•respond to life’s challenges

WHO definition of Life Skills

• Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

Te Whare Tapa Wha

Dimensions of Health

• Taha Tinana - physical well-being

• Taha Hinengaro - emotional and mental well-being

• Taha Whanau - social or community well-being

• Taha Wairua - spiritual well-being

Where Are You From?

• How do you show your culture is important to you?

• Describe what culture gives you?

• How does culture influence positive behaviour?

TAHA WAIRUA

Spiritual Well-being

Activities

The activities within Taha Wairua include topics such as:

• Culture & belonging

• Sexual orientation

• Gender identity

• Sexual enjoyment & expression

• Intimacy

TAHA TINANA

Physical Well-being

Activities

The activities within Taha Tinana include topics such as:

• Safer sex

• Pregnancy

• Alcohol & drug use

• Nutrition

• Body image

• Seeking medical help

TAHA WHANAU

Social Well-being

ActivitiesThe activities within Taha Whanau include topics such as:

•Goal-setting

•Social media safety

•Ethical by-standing

•Financial literacy

•Citizenship

•Support service organisations

•Shared living arrangements

•Driving & driver licensing

TAHA HINENGARO

Mental & Emotional Well-being

Activities

The activities within Taha Hinengaro include topics such as:

•Communication

•Healthy relationships

•Managing emotions

•Bullying

•Consent

My Life in My Hands

•One thing you would like in your life e.g. a car

•One thing you would like to do with your life e.g. study

•A behaviour you would like to change e.g. eat more healthily

Evaluation

Percent of training participants reporting ‘good’ or ‘very good’ skills in target areas before and after training

Before After

Skills for facilitating groups 28.1% 90.3%

Skills for developing Life Skills in young people

34% 94.2%

Skills for planning programmes 39.2% 87.2%

Skills for creating supportive environments for young people

48.5% 94.1%

Feedback

“I just wanted to give you feedback on the Family Planning training sessions that we have been very lucky to have been a part of.

I ensured that my full team were at this training and I am very glad that we did.

The resource is absolutely fantastic and having a chance to practice using it amongst other like- minded people helped our team to see it in action and see how useful it will be for us.”

“One boy, he was in a relationship and when it comes to intercourse he was quite forceful towards his partner, he admitted that, and when he went through the facilitation [he learned] that could be looked on as rape, and he’s changed the way he is towards his partner…

He thought it was normal, what he was doing, but talking with him and using some of the notes from the book he’s changed the way he is, his whole demeanour – he’s not angry anymore, he’s quite approachable.”

Where to from hereAuckland Timaru

Thames Christchurch

Tauranga Invercargill

Taupo Northland

Hawera Hamilton

Ruatoria Wellington

Wairoa Wairarapa

Palmerston North Dunedin