| Learning For Life |
|
||||||
www.learningforlife.org Mission Statement It is the mission of Learning for Life to serve others by helping to instill core values in young people and in other ways prepare them to make ethical choices throughout their lives so they can achieve their full potential. Purpose Learning for Life is designed to support schools and community-based organizations in their efforts to prepare youth to successfully handle the complexities of contemporary society and to enhance their self-confidence, motivation, and self-esteem. Learning for Life also helps youth develop social and life skills, assists in character development, and helps youth formulate positive personal values. It prepares youth to make ethical decisions that will help them achieve their full potential. Rationale At a time when drugs and gangs are ravaging many of our schools and communities, Learning for Life can be a catalyst to help stop this trend. Learning for Life uses age-appropriate, grade-specific lesson plans to give youth skills and information that will help them cope with the complexities of today 's society. Learning for Life makes academic learning fun and relevant to real-life situations. As a result, the core values and skills learned by participation in Learning for Life not only make students more confident and capable but also give them an invaluable understanding of how things work in the real world. School demand for character education programs has greatly influenced the dramatic growth of Learning for Life. Learning for Life has been adopted by more than 21,000 schools and organizations nationwide, serving more than 1.6 million youth. Program Components Learning for Life has five program components. Elementary Program The elementary program is designed for kindergarten through sixth grade. The curriculum for each grade level consists of 60 lesson plans designed to reinforce social, ethical, and academic skills in such areas as critical and creative thinking, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, practical living skills, building self-esteem, writing and other language arts, and participating citizenship. Lesson plans focus on themes such as "Accepting Consequences," "Conservation," "Gangs," "Ethnic Heritage," "Meeting Deadlines," "Violence Prevention," "Money Management," "Never Give Up," "What Is Freedom?," "Respecting Differences," and "Sticking to What 's Right. " The lessons are designed to instill in young people the importance of respecting the rights of all people, and to prepare young people to participate in and provide leadership in American society. The elementary school program has grown at a phenomenal rate since its introduction in 1991. It is one of the fastest-growing components under the Learning for Life umbrella. Special Needs Program The special-needs Learning for Life program teaches students with special needs the life skills they need to achieve self-sufficiency. The lessons also focus on and enhance student self-development. Areas covered include
Because of the various forms and levels of special needs that schools may encounter, the Learning for Life curriculum is sometimes supplemented with the elementary school, 7th/8th grade, and senior high school Learning for Life program materials. In this way, Learning for Life can be tailored to fit the needs of each individual class and student and is certain to be age appropriate. 7th/8th Grade Program The 7th/8th grade program is a school-based program designed to enable community role models and mentors to motivate and interact with students. Role models and mentors with backgrounds similar to those of students share their personal paths to success, including obstacles and successes. The 7th/8th grade program is a series of 50 workshops that help students assess and develop the personal skills and values needed to make future career choices. The workshops are on CD-ROM and include a second CD-ROM for students with character-building games. This program helps students learn to ascertain the need for having a job and being employed, to recognize obstacles, to make mature and ethical decisions, and to deal responsibly with their decisions. Senior High Program The senior high school program continues Learning for Life 's school-to-careers emphasis and is for ninth-through 12th-grade students. This school-based program consists of a series of 35 workshops that teach the practical skills necessary to acquire a job and stay employed. Topics include "Job Applications," "Writing Resumes," "Job Interviews," "Employer and Labor Relations," "Money Management," "Where to Find a Job," and "Ethics in the Workplace. " These workshops are also on CD-ROM and include 26 character-building activities. There 's also a second CD-ROM for students with games focusing on making choices. The high school program also consists of a series of career seminars presented by community representatives. The seminars cover careers that the students have chosen to learn more about. Students get in-depth understanding and first-hand knowledge of their career area, including entry-level requirements, special training needed, important academic disciplines that must be mastered, typical working conditions, promotion opportunities, and other relevant information to help them prepare for the real world of work. Exploring Program Exploring is a worksite-based and hands-on career-based program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15 through 20 years old. Exploring's purpose is to provide experiences that help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Explorers are ready to investigate the meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships and communities. Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the business organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate a career-oriented Explorer post by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their career interests, grow, and develop. Additional Programs Leadership Workshop Series This is a series of workshops for senior high students designed to help them develop life skills, personal management skills, and group leadership skills. They can be offered as one-day sessions, an overnight meeting, or as a series of short sessions. Drug Prevention Education Program This is a series of books for kindergarten through sixth grade youth. The books include age-appropriate and grade specific lesson plans geared to educate them about the dangers of drug abuse. A full-color poster is included in most books. Volunteer Leadership Schools and organizations participating in Learning for Life are called Learning for Life groups or Explorer posts. Each group or post is led by a minimum of four adults, at least 21 years of age. Other volunteer leaders, both men and women, are also involved in the program and serve in a variety of positions. Standards for leadership are established by the participating organization. Training Learning for Life offers a two-hour training seminar designed to prepare volunteers and teachers to use Learning for Life materials. The training can also be conducted to orient school administrators, prospective financial supporters, and other interested parties on the value of the program and how it is used to supplement and enrich the core classroom curriculum. Exploring also offers training opportunities for its participants. Recognitions Learning for Life offers a recognition plan for elementary and special-needs students to encourage positive behavior, to foster a sense of belonging in the group, to assist in building self-esteem, and to reward a positive work ethic. In Exploring, numerous scholarships are available from a variety of national organizations. For kindergarten through fourth-grade youth the recognition plan is an honor wall chart with spaces for student names. There are 15 brightly colored peel-off stickers that relate to the 60 lesson plan themes that are in each book. When the class completes a designated set of themes, the teacher places the appropriate sticker on the honor wall chart by the name of each student who participated. In addition, students receive stickers to wear on their clothing. Kindergarten through second-grade youth are called "Seekers"; third-and fourth-graders are called "Discoverers." The fifth-and sixth-grade recognition plan also is an honor wall chart with 15 peel-off stickers and iron-on patches for the students to wear on their clothing. Fifth-and sixth-graders are called "Challengers." The special-needs curriculum also has a recognition program with its own honor wall chart and incentive stickers. Special-needs students are called "Champions." Senior-high students and Explorers can receive career achievement awards for their accomplishments in different career fields. Students involved in the Seekers, Discoverers, Challengers and Champions programs also get their own individual honor wall chart (8 1/2" x 11 ") for stickers. Learning for Life also offers recognitions for adults who participate in the program. Cost The average cost of conducting Learning for Life is approximately $350 per year per classroom. This includes all program and administrative costs, curricula, trainings, student and teacher recognitions, and staff support. Educational Endorsements We are encouraging school districts across Oklahoma to implement Learning for Life as a tool for teachers and counselors and are confident this program will make a difference in the lives of many students. —Sandy Garrett, State Superintendent The Learning for Life program is on target in terms of the values issue and the character development issue. —Dr. Paul Houston, Executive Director Your Learning for Life program takes important values and teaches them in the classroom. The Louisiana Department of Education is proud to endorse the Learning for Life program. —Cecil J. Picard, State Superintendent of Education Students learned a greater sense of core values. —Dr. Kevin Ryan, Director Learning for Life is highly interesting and relevant to present lifestyles. The lessons encourage the growth of self-esteem in students. It provides quality instructional materials for youth of today. Thank you for your care and concern for all children of America. —Sharon Cash, Principal I urge teachers and administrators to give favorable attention to Learning for Life and hope they will implement the program in their classrooms. —Sandra E. Dowling, County School Superintendent Congratulations on the development of Learning for Life in support of the complete education of America 's students! Your commitment is right on target as we move toward the 21st century and as we aim toward personal, economic, and societal benefit for all. —Pat Nellor Wickwire, Ph. D. , President The Learning for Life curriculum is exciting. ... Learning for Life empowers students to take control of their lives. ... Learning for Life materials are powerful, but simple and easy to use. —Stacy C. James, Center Director, Big Bend Area Learning for Life is presented the 1995 Chairman's Award ... in appreciation of the dedicated service to educational partnerships for the benefit of children and families. —The National Association of Partners in Education Inc. The Diocese of Brooklyn supports the Learning for Life program. I encourage consideration of the implementation of this program in my classrooms. —Most Reverend, Thomas V. Daily, D. D. |
|||||||
