Life Skills Development

1. Life Skills Development 1

2. Understand life skills development using the Targeting Life Skills Model. 2

3. Skill: learned ability to do something well Life skill: ability which will help an individual live a productive and satisfying life “The goal of youth programming is to provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for young people to experience life skills, to practice them until they are learned, and be able to use them as necessary throughout a lifetime. Through the experiential learning process, youth internalize the knowledge and gain the ability to apply the skills appropriately.” - Iowa 4-H 3

4. Hendricks, P.A. (1998) 4

5. The Targeting Life Skills (TLS) Model categorizes life skills on the basis of the four H's representing Head, Heart, Hands, and Health • Two general categories of skills are included under each of the four headings • - Iowa 4-H Hendricks, P.A. (1998) 5

6. The Essential Elements Belonging • Youth experience an inclusive environment. Independence • Youth see themselves as active participants in the future. Generosity • Youth have opportunities to value and practice service to others. Mastery • Youth have opportunities to try, make mistakes, and learn. 6

7. The 4-H Connection The 4-H Pledge The Essential Elements Life Skills Head Independence Thinking, Managing Relating, Caring Heart Generosity Mastery Working, Giving Hands Being, Living Health Belonging 7

8. Life Skills by Category • HEART • Relating • Communications • Cooperation • Social skills • Conflict resolution • Accepting differences • Caring • Concern for others • Empathy • Sharing • Nurturingrelationships • HEAD • Thinking • Learning to learn • Decision-making • Problem solving • Critical thinking • Service learning • Managing • Goal setting • Planning/organizing • Wise use of resources • Keeping records • Resiliency 8

9. Life Skills by Category • HEALTH • Living • Healthy lifestyle choices • Stress management • Disease prevention • Personal safety • Being • Self esteem • Self responsibility • Character • Managing feelings • Self discipline • HANDS • Giving • Community service/volunteering • Leadership • Responsible contribution to group • Working • Marketable/useful skills • Teamwork • Self-motivation 9

10. Applying Life Skills Knowledge Use the TLS Model and terminology… • When planning a sequence of learning experiences • What are your goals? • When leading youth in reflection and discussion • What life skills have they learned? • When discussing 4-H programs with staff, volunteers, or parents • What is the value of a 4-H experience? • How can 4-H impact a young person over the course of a lifetime? 10

11. “Positive Youth Development; Developing Life Skills – Volunteerism for the Next Generation” • <nextgeneration.4-h.org/volunteerism/vrkc/> • Hendricks, P. (1998) “Developing Youth Curriculum Using the Targeting Life Skills Model.” Iowa State Extension. • <extension.iastate.edu/4H/skls.eval.htm> • Norman, M. and Jordan, J. (2006) “Targeting Life Skills in 4-H.” Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville. • <edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h242> 11

12. 4-H 101, Lesson 6: Life Skills and the Experiential Learning Model • <http://www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org/doc12951.ashx> 12