Additional Program Information

Developer and contact

Lions Quest, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Professional Mailing Distribution Center (PMDS), PO Box 304, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0304. Email: info@lions-quest.org. Web: www.lions-quest.org. Telephone: (800) 446-2700.

Scope of use

Skills for Adolescence, grades 6–8 is one of a suite of programs developed by Lions Quest. Other programs in the set include Skills for Growing, grades K–5 and Skills for Action, grades 9–12. The program, developed in 1985, is in its fourth revised edition. According to the developer, more than 50,000 teachers have been trained in Skills for Adolescence in the United States and more than 150,000 have been trained in 30 countries worldwide. The number of students participating in some parts of Skills for Adolescence alone has reached more than 1.7 million in the United States and about 2.7 million worldwide. Skills for Adolescence may have changed since the studies were conducted. The WWC recommends asking the developer for information about the most current version of this curriculum and taking into account that student demographics and school context may affect outcomes.

Teaching

Skills for Adolescence consists of 102 lessons in nine units based on building such positive character values as respect for others, personal and social responsibility, appreciation of diversity, good citizenship, ethics of service to the community, healthy life habits, and social and emotional skills. Year 1 lessons are organized into eight units, and an additional service-learning unit, taught in conjunction with these units, is infused into the curriculum. Year 2 and Year 3 booster units address healthy life habits and drug prevention. Lessons can be presented in nineweek mini-course, quarter, semester, year-long, or multi-year formats or integrated into existing curricula. Teaching methods include group work activities, skills practice, and classroom or community service projects. The positive school climate component is operated through a school climate committee that includes teachers, students, parents, and community members.

The developer provides such teacher resources as curriculum materials, a curriculum manual, a teacher's resource guide, a Drugs Information Guide, a parent meeting guide, The Surprising Years book for parents, Changes and Challenges workbooks for students, and booster sessions for concept reinforcement when using a three-year implementation format. Lessons are intended to be taught by trained, Lions Quest certified teachers. Curriculum materials are only available to trained teachers. Training consists of a two- or three-day workshop. According to the developer, a large range of targeted staff development inservice workshops and an extensive 10-day training-of-trainers program, intended to prepare schools to conduct their own staff development, are also available.

Cost

Training workshops can be organized locally for $4,000 for a two-day workshop or $5,000 for a three-day workshop, with an added cost of $500 if the reservation is made less than six weeks before the training. The developer also offers workshops at regional locations for $500 a person (with discounts for four or more registrants and four or more weeks advance registration). With a guarantee of 12 or more participants, the developer will provide this workshop on a by-request basis. Collaboration with a local Lion's Club group can reduce workshop prices.

Curriculum sets are included in the price of the training. Additional sets and upgrades to the newest edition are available for purchase by trained individuals. A curriculum set in English (4th edition) costs $120; a set in Spanish (3rd edition) costs $99. Changes and Challenges student workbooks are available for $3.50 a copy for the 3rd edition in English or $5.00 a copy in Spanish and $5.95 a copy for the 4th edition in English. The Surprising Years parent books cost $3.95 a copy for both English (4th edition) and Spanish (3rd edition) versions. A set of both books is available for $7.95, with volume pricing available.

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