Table Of Contentthe life skills program(cid:133)peer education(cid:133)empowering girls(cid:133)communication skills(cid:133)dec
aking skills(cid:133) exchanging stories(cid:133)role models(cid:133)thinking skills(cid:133)relationship skills(cid:133)em
anagement skills(cid:133)the life skills program(cid:133)peer education(cid:133)assertiveness(cid:133) building a
idge(cid:133)the life skills program(cid:133)peer education(cid:133)empowering girls(cid:133)commmunication sk
decision-making skills(cid:133)exchanging stories(cid:133)role models(cid:133)thinking skills(cid:133)relationship
kills(cid:133)emotion management skills(cid:133)the life skills program(cid:133)peer
LIFE
SKILLS
MANUAL
Peace Corps
L S M
IFE KILLS ANUAL
Peace Corps
2001
Information Collection and Exchange
Publication No. M0063
LIFE SKILLS MANUAL
Information Collection and Exchange
This publication was produced by the Peace Corps Center for Field Assistance and
Applied Research. It is distributed through the Information Collection and Exchange
(ICE). For further information or additional copies, please contact ICE and refer to the
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2 PEACE CORPS
CONTENTS
C
ONTENTS
Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................5
Part I: The Life Skills Program(cid:150)Background and Introduction....................................................7
Welcome to the Life Skills Program!............................................................................................................9
Lessons Learned..........................................................................................................................................15
Sample Schedules .......................................................................................................................................22
Session 1: The Bridge Model: How Do We Build a Bridge From Information to Behavior Change?........27
Session 2: Identifying the Missing Life Skill................................................................................................36
Part II: Peer Education......................................................................................................................39
Peer Educators............................................................................................................................................41
Session 1: Dealing With Problems in Groups ..............................................................................................45
Session 2: Support for Responsible Behavior..............................................................................................49
Part III: Facing Facts about HIV/AIDS and STDs..........................................................................53
Facing Facts about HIV/AIDS and STDs..................................................................................................55
Session 1: Facts and Myths about HIV/AIDS............................................................................................57
Session 2: The Immune System ..................................................................................................................62
Session 3: How HIV is Transmitted............................................................................................................68
Session 4: The Relationship of STDs and HIV/AIDS ................................................................................73
Session 5: Women and HIV/AIDS .............................................................................................................77
Session 6: HIV Prevention..........................................................................................................................83
Session 7: Disease Progression and Positive Behaviors .............................................................................88
Session 8: Cure or Treatment?....................................................................................................................93
Session 9: HIV/AIDS and Human Rights...................................................................................................98
Session 10: HIV/AIDS and Behavior Change..........................................................................................104
Part IV: Communication Skills........................................................................................................109
Session 1: Communication Puzzle ..............................................................................................................111
Session 2: Assertiveness: Attack and Avoid ............................................................................................. 117
Session 3: Assertiveness: Passive, Assertive, Aggressive........................................................................121
Session 4: Assertiveness: Assertive Messages.........................................................................................127
Session 5: Assertiveness/Peer Pressure: Responding to Persuasion(cid:151)Part I...........................................132
Session 6: Assertiveness/Peer Pressure: Responding to Persuasion(cid:151)Part II .........................................137
Part V: Decision(cid:150)Making Skills .....................................................................................................143
Session 1: Steps in Making a Good Decision ............................................................................................145
Session 2: Just Between Us......................................................................................................................149
Session 3: Exchanging Stories(cid:151)Role Models ((cid:147)The Person I Admire(cid:148)) .................................................152
Session 4: Your Life Story.........................................................................................................................156
Session 5: Your Goals................................................................................................................................159
Session 6: Early Pregnancy.......................................................................................................................163
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LIFE SKILLS MANUAL
Session 7: Alcohol and Drug Use..............................................................................................................165
Session 8: Risk Behavior(cid:151)Testing the Waters.........................................................................................169
Session 9: Delaying Sex ............................................................................................................................174
Part VI: Relationship Skills ............................................................................................................181
Session 1: The Best Response Game........................................................................................................183
Session 2: Oh! Henry! and Managing Emotions Gallery Walk .................................................................187
Session 3: Peer Pressure Role Plays ........................................................................................................190
Session 4: What is Love?..........................................................................................................................193
Session 5: Self(cid:150)Esteem Building: Do We Have Self(cid:150)Esteem?.................................................................196
Session 6: Self(cid:150)Esteem Building: (cid:147)A Pat on the Back(cid:148)............................................................................199
Session 7: What are Gender Roles?(cid:151)Gender Cards Exercise ................................................................201
Session 8: Gender Picture Codes and Role Plays.....................................................................................205
Session 9: Gender and Culture: Ideal Images and Personal Destroyers................................................... 211
Session 10: Whose Rights and Who(cid:146)s Right: A Look at Bride Price........................................................214
Part VII: Bringing It All Together ..................................................................................................217
Forum Theater...........................................................................................................................................219
Appendices.......................................................................................................................................225
Appendix I: Warm(cid:150)Ups and Energizers....................................................................................................227
Appendix II: Quick Breaks!......................................................................................................................238
Appendix III: Assorted Ideas....................................................................................................................239
Appendix IV: Games and Session Ideas ...................................................................................................244
4 PEACE CORPS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
This Life Skills Manual was compiled and adapted from materials created by the
following organizations: World Health Organization; United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Alice Welbourn and
ACTIONAID; the Curriculum Development Unit, Ministry of Education, Zimbabwe;
and UNICEF, Harare. We gratefully acknowledge the talent and skill of the authors
of those materials.
The Peace Corps also appreciates the work of Kathleen Callahan, who developed
the Life Skills Manual, and Ruth Mota, African Health Specialist, the author of the
(cid:147)Facing Facts about HIV/AIDS and STDs(cid:148) section. Additional thanks are due the
development team: Judee Blohm and Lani Havens for editing, and Therese Wingate
for illustrations and graphic design. Finally, we appreciate the ideas and photo-
graphs shared by Volunteers, Counterparts, and staff throughout the world, espe-
cially Peace Corps/Malawi and Tovwirane Centre, and the efforts of all those who
participated in this process.
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LIFE SKILLS MANUAL
6 PEACE CORPS
I
PART I: BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION t
r
a
P
P I:
ART
T L S P (cid:150)
HE IFE KILLS ROGRAM
B I
ACKGROUND AND NTRODUCTION
7
LIFE SKILLS MANUAL
8 PEACE CORPS
I
PART I: BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION t
r
a
P
W
ELCOME TO THE
L S P !
IFE KILLS ROGRAM
Are you a health worker struggling with the rising rates of Human Immuno(cid:150)
Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS),
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), unwanted pregnancy, or maternal
mortality? Are you a teacher working daily with young people who face
difficult decisions: determining a positive direction in life, potential un-
wanted pregnancy, or the issues of alcohol or drug use? Have you been
providing health information for years and yet see no positive change in
your community? Are you a parent, community volunteer, or concerned
community leader fearful of the toll HIV/AIDS is taking on your area? Are
you a young person ready to do something to help lead your friends into a
brighter future? If you answered (cid:147)yes(cid:148) to any of the above questions, the
Life Skills program might be for you.
The Life Skills Concept
The Life Skills program is a comprehensive behavior change approach that
concentrates on the development of the skills needed for life such as com-
munication, decision(cid:150)making, thinking, managing emotions, assertiveness,
self(cid:150)esteem building, resisting peer pressure, and relationship skills. Ad-
ditionally, it addresses the important related issues of empowering girls
and guiding boys towards new values. The program moves beyond provid-
ing information. It addresses the development of the whole individual(cid:151)so
that a person will have the skills to make use of all types of information,
whether it be related to HIV/AIDS, STDs, reproductive health, safe moth-
erhood, other health issues, and other communication and decision(cid:150)mak-
ing situations. The Life Skills approach is completely interactive, using
role plays, games, puzzles, group discussions, and a variety of other inno-
vative teaching techniques to keep the participant wholly involved in the
sessions.
9
