The purpose of the DYS Life Skills curriculum is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and understandings necessary to function successfully in their communities. This success is both personal and vocational. Teachers will provide learning opportunities that will support students’ self-advocacy and resiliency while exposing them to a variety of life choices. Students will explore their interests, talents and skills and begin to create transition pathways for post-incarceration.
DYS is currently drafting an Employability and Career Readiness Guide that will provide teachers with a framework of knowledge, skills and understandings related to most topics specific to Life Skills. The guide will draw from the
Academic / Technical – career-related academic-technical knowledge, understanding, and skills.
Personal / Social – the development of self and social knowledge, understanding, and skills.
Workplace Readiness Development – the development of knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary for navigating the workplace.
Through these domains students will deal with consumer knowledge and awareness, career exploration and job readiness, and social and character education.
The main component of Life Skills not addressed through the CDE benchmarks is health and safety education, which will follow standards from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum
These standards are addressed in four key strands:
Physical Health – growth and development, physical activity and fitness, nutrition, and reproduction /sexuality
Social Emotional Health – mental health, family life, interpersonal relationships
Safety and Prevention Health – disease prevention, safety, substance abuse, violence prevention
Personal and Community Health – consumer health, ecological health, public health