Middle School LifeSkills Program

A component of the school’s advisory system, the St. Francis Middle School LifeSkills Program promotes healthy alternatives to risky behaviors by teaching students the skills they need to resist peer pressure to smoke, drink and use drugs. It was developed by Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor of psychology at Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medical College and director of the college’s Institute for Prevention Research, and it provides opportunities for group discussions that encourage students to see themselves not only as individuals, but also as members of larger groups within the school and within society. Cited for excellence by numerous organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education, the LifeSkills program has been proven to reduce the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use by as much as 87 percent.