YouthLIFE: Life Skills through New Technology

Supported by John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

YouthLIFE – A Technology based curriculum

• Comprehensive, self learning digital information package for adolescents aged 10-14 years

• Engages students through interactive and simulative games and exercises leading to effective learning and preparedness to face challenges of everyday life

• Topics around Life Skills , Growing Up, Relationships and Healthy habits

YouthLIFE Project Design

• Adolescent girls and boys have a right to make choices to determine their futures including choices around SRHR.

• Adolescent girls and boys can develop the capabilities to make healthy choices around SRHR

Project Design:• Target Group: Adolescent girls and boys aged 11-14 of

classes 6, 7 and 8 identified in 50 schools of Delhi and Jharkhand

• Development of a graded curriculum for classes 6,7 and 8

• The digitized curriculum developed comprised of 2 components -Group and Individual learning

• Inbuilt individual assessment

• A Feasibility Study to assess the effectiveness of the digital curriculum

Some Findings from the Study

• Overall increase in knowledge of students was found to be higher on all knowledge indicators such as physical changes during adolescence, relationships, good touch/bad touch, bullying nutrition and anaemia, etc.

• The average net gain in knowledge among students was found to be 24.22%

• The cost effectiveness analysis using direct cost of implementing the YouthLIFE package showed that use of print medium had lower effectiveness/cost ratio (0.05) as compared to digital medium (0.11)

Implementation in Schools

• Orientation of Principals

• Orientation and training of teachers

• Classroom transaction of digital curriculum with students

• Regular backstopping of sessions

Selection of schools for implementation in process - 11 new schools added to the already existing 4 pilot schools

In Ranchi, 8 schools have been approached ; 4 schools have agreed to implement the program

Identification and collaboration with a new technology partner, Zobble Solutions to develop content for class 8

Expansion of current YouthLIFE digital curriculum

Class-wise stratification of the digital package

Meeting with Principals

Transaction and backstopping sessions with new/old schools

Website designing initiated

Selection of schools for implementation in process - 11 new schools added to the already existing 4 pilot schools

In Ranchi, 8 schools have been approached ; 4 schools have agreed to implement the program

Identification and collaboration with a new technology partner, Zobble Solutions to develop content for class 8

Expansion of current YouthLIFE digital curriculum

Class-wise stratification of the digital package

Meeting with Principals

Transaction and backstopping sessions with new/old schools

Website designing initiated

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

• Qualitative and Quantitative assessment of the program in the schools through a baseline and an endline

• Regular evaluation of students through an inbuilt self assessment

• Regular monitoring visits to ensure new modules developed are being properly implemented

New Initiatives

• Development of a website for students, parents and teachers

• Expansion and translation of the current YouthLIFE digital curriculum to Hindi

• Introduction of the YouthLIFE curriculum to more schools in more states

The Content Modules Sessions

Life Skills Understanding Life Skills, Self Esteem & Identity

Growing Up Understanding Self, Goal Setting, Good and Bad touch, Child Abuse, Body image, Role Models, Mapping the future, Social & Emotional Changes

Healthy Habits Personal Hygiene, Nutrition- Balanced diet & Food labeling, HIV and AIDS, Substance Abuse, Rights & Responsibilities

Relationships Friendship, Handling Peer Rejection, Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Gender stereotypes and Gender based Discrimination, Effective Communication with parents & teachers

Some glimpses

Key Learning & Challenges • Participation of students very high

• Regular backstopping of sessions undertaken for effective and timely transaction in classrooms

• Schools have shown interest in introducing the package to students from lower classes

• Lack of infrastructure in many schools – a challenge in taking the program to scale