Life Skills Program

 Life Skills training is an important component of the CYEC’s programming. The CYEC aims to provide all of its residents with the skills necessary for healthy and fulfilling lives. These life skills include: health and hygiene, financial literacy and saving, leadership, teamwork and social responsibility.

Health Wise

The HealthWise CYEC curriculum was developed in response to a need for socio-emotional development and health focused programs for the
children and youth at the CYEC. The HealthWise CYEC curriculum is based largely on the HealthWise South Africa: Life Skills for Young Adults curriculum. The three main goals of the South African curriculum were to: reduce transmission of HIV/AIDS, reduce drug abuse and risky behaviors, and increase positive use of free and leisure time among youth. Despite the similarity of many of the topics in the CYEC HealthWise program to the South Africa HealthWise program, the material for the CYEC program has been extensively adapted to the needs of the children and youth of the CYEC. The curriculum was last revised in May 2013 and includes the following topics: self-awareness of emotions, appreciating uniqueness, leadership development, managing free time, healthful physical growth, and healthful relationships. The adaptation of the CYEC program has been on-going since 2011 and has involved a number of individuals and a number of iterations to produce the HealthWise CYEC curriculum in its current form. For more information contact Dr. Linda Caldwell (e-mail: lindac@psu.edu) or Dr. Janelle Larson (e-mail: jbl6@psu.edu).

Aflatoun

Aflatoun is a training program aimed at providing children with the knowledge and skills to improve their lives and the lives of people in their communities. The program is grounded in the belief that children around the world should have an understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Children should also know, and have access to, the financial tools they need to realize these rights. The program has five basic components: personal understanding and exploration, rights and responsibilities, savings and spending, planning and budgeting, and social and financial enterprise. Aflatoun was implemented at the CYEC in 2011.

Leadership Training

Albert Schweitzer’s Leadership for Life program was developed in Ireland and funded by UNESCO.  The program actively promotes educational opportunities for young adults all across the globe. Leadership trainings are intended to create a more prosperous, peaceful world with strong and courageous leadership free of bigotry, ambivalence and cultural ignorance. The leadership program began at the CYEC in April 2013.