Strengthening Young People’s Life Skills

Young people who have strong life skills—such as self-awareness, teamwork, perseverance, and responsible decision making—tend to do better in school, have better health and relationships, and enjoy greater overall well-being than those who do not. Out-of-school time (OST) programs play a key role in helping young people learn and develop these skills. 

There is an opportunity for intermediaries and other organizations that coordinate and support OST programs to help program providers in building students’ life skills through three strategies in particular: 

• Establishing a life skills framework to guide programming and practice
• Connecting providers to evidence-based resources that support effective life skill development
• Offering opportunities for professional development to bolster staff members’ abilities and confidence

A life skills framework identifies and defines the specific life skills for programs to target. RAND recommends the following when establishing a framework:

• Get input from a range of stakeholders, including OST providers, young people, families, schools, and community leaders
• Become familiar with widely used life skills frameworks to determine which specific skills and models might be relevant
• Choose an approach that fits the community’s needs, whether it’s adapting an existing framework or creating a new one 
• Provide materials, tools, and training to help staff connect priority life skills to program activities
• Consider hosting a convening to introduce the framework, share examples of how it works, and inspire providers to try it

OST programs in the study used three approaches to building students’ life skills, each with its own recommended resources included in the guide: 

• Establishing short routines, like welcoming activities, sharing circles, and brain breaks—Resources include examples and clear written guidelines that spell out the purpose and timing of each routine and the specific life skill it targets.
• Connecting life skills to regular program activities—Resources include activity planning templates and written guidelines.
• Providing direct instruction—Resources include guides and worksheets developed by intermediaries and tailored for OST settings with guidance on how to adapt them as needed.

RAND’s tips for high-quality professional development to foster life skills include the following:

• Create a year-long professional development calendar that starts with the basics and and goes more in depth over time
• Include opportunities for staff to practice routines and strategies they will use with students
• Give staff opportunities to work on strengthening their own life skills
• Offer professional development in various formats, including workshops, virtual sessions, and peer learning communities
• Tailor training to specific staff roles and levels of experience
• Work with coaches, technical assistance providers, or local partners who are knowledgeable about life skills and OST programs