Adolescents’ Life Skills Training for Effective Transformation into Ideal Youth

Adolescence, a vital stage of growth and development, marks the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is also the stage when young people extend their relationships beyond parents and family and are intensely influenced by their peers and the outside world in general. Adolescence is, thus, a turning point in one's life, a period of increased potential but also one of greater vulnerability. As they mature adolescents’ life skills are called upon to form and maintain relationships within home, peer group and community. Acquisition of life skills is not an easy task and especially in today's era it requires focussed interventions to hone life skills of adolescents’ and most importantly that of rural adolescent girls. The present study was done to enhance the life skills of rural adolescent girls by providing intensive interventions to them. A sample of 150 rural adolescent girls from Distt. Udham Singh Nagar and Distt. Nainital was drawn randomly and assessed for its existing life skills. An intervention module on Life Skill Education including a core set of nine life skills namely Decision making, Problem solving, Creative thinking/lateral thinking, Critical thinking/perspicacity. Effective communication, Interpersonal relationships, Self awareness/mindfulness, Empathy and Coping with stress, trauma & loss was developed based on the requirements of selected sample. Intensive interventions were provided to these girls through this intervention module. Impact assessment was done and interventions were proved to be effective in enhancing their life skills and abilities necessary to survive successfully in today's rapid changing era. This will further help them to maximize the use of their existing resources and in effect, will improve the quality of life for all members of society.