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The current study is part of a community engaged planning phase and aimed to identify perceptions related to the prevalence of violent crime, crime contributors, the relationship between the community and law enforcement, and potential interventions and solutions. In March 2021, semistructured interviews were conducted with individuals from five groups who resided or worked in Bessemer, Alabama: (1) Law Enforcement, (2) Residents, (3) Civic Leaders, (4) Community Leaders, and (5) Victims of Crime. Interviews lasted approximately 60 min and were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the guidelines of thematic analysis using NVivo 12. Emerging themes were examined in accordance with the CDC Social‐Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. Participants (N = 18) were 50.0% female and 77.8% African American with an age range of 25–59 (mean = 43.4 years). Themes that emerged related to crime were: (1) impact, (2) contributors, and (3) solutions. Results indicate that impacts of violent crime at the individual level focused on fear, which led to widespread mental health issues. Relationship level impacts included a lack of trust of law enforcement and neighbors, and community level impacts were decreased neighborhood social cohesion as well as decreased safety. At the societal level, the poor reputation of the city was consistently highlighted. For contributors of crime, being a youth under age 30, drugs, and money were discussed as factors at the individual level. At the relationship level, participants mentioned poor parenting and gangs as crime contributing factors to violent crime. Furthermore, contributing issues related to underresourced schools as well as a poor relationship with law enforcement were brought up at the community level. Similarly, poverty was the overarching contributing issue at the societal level. Solutions that emerged included: education and training in life skills, focusing on young people, family/parenting, conflict resolution programs, programs within schools, improved relationships with law enforcement, and inclusive economic opportunities. Intervention plans are discussed that can merge these stakeholder findings with other data sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly common for universities to offer financial education or life skills courses as electives. However, less is known about the potential impacts of these courses on factors beyond financial literacy, such as financial attitudes, financial stress, or financial well‐being. Our study explores these topics using a unique sample of 370 undergraduate students, half of whom opted to enroll in and complete a financial life skills course and half of whom did not. We explore various aspects of student financial life, including well‐being, stress, self‐efficacy, knowledge, behavior, and socialization. Evidence from our study did not suggest that a single‐credit financial life skills course has much impact on financial well‐being or financial stress. There were notable impacts associated with financial socialization and financial self‐efficacy that reinforce some earlier explorations of financial well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses a 2012 report by anthropologist Anne Fox, commissioned by the alcohol producer Lion Pty Limited, which suggests that alcohol consumption is not responsible for violence and anti-social behavior in night-time economies in New Zealand and Australia. Topics include Fox's suggestion that culture versus alcohol consumption determines behavior, Dr. Fox's failure to obtain ethics committee approval for the study, and Fox's recommendation of life-skills training and parent education.

This paper examines whether three dimensions of school climate-leadership, accountability, and safety/respect-moderated the impacts of the INSIGHTS program on students' social-emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Twenty-two urban schools and N = 435 low-income racial/ethnic minority students were enrolled in the study and received intervention services across the course of 2 years, in both kindergarten and first grade. Intervention effects on math and reading achievement were larger for students enrolled in schools with lower overall levels of leadership, accountability, and safety/respect at baseline. Program impacts on disruptive behaviors were greater in schools with lower levels of accountability at baseline; impacts on sustained attention were greater in schools with lower levels of safety/respect at baseline. Implications for Social-Emotional Learning program implementation, replication, and scale-up are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dialectical relationship between social justice, active participation and the development of aesthetic sensibilities is re-emerging as a theme among art and design educators as concerns mount for the future of art and design education in the curriculum - particularly in the UK, but also internationally. This article explores the potential of virtual worlds to support the development of young people's voices using creative practices - photography, film-making and fashion - as the principal means of engaging young people in developing their understanding of active citizenship. The use of creative practices to support a range of wider educational aims in virtual worlds has not yet been investigated and, we contend, is an area of serious research endeavour. We report on the research of an EPSRC/ESRC-funded project called 'Inter-Life' which examined how virtual worlds could be used to support the development and acquisition of life skills to enhance the management of important life transitions. The project investigated the extent to which young people's engagement in creative practices within these environments assisted with these processes. Some implications for future research are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective approach to the treatment of depressive disorders within schools, due to its demonstrated efficacy, as well as its availability in manualized treatment form. When implemented by therapists with inadequate training, the treatment is often stilted, less engaging for participants, and aimlessly guided through rigid adherence to the treatment manual. The transportability of such interventions to schools will be discussed, highlighting challenges that school psychologists may face, along with addressing important aspects for the successful implementation of treatments. The ACTION treatment program, a highly effective cognitive behavioral intervention for depressed youth, is provided as an example of one such program. Primary treatment components of ACTION are described along with subtleties to effectively train school psychologists who intend to treat depressed youth. The importance of improved training for school psychologists to become effective at implementing cognitive behavioral interventions is highlighted. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little evidence that the prevailing strategies of science education have an impact on the use and interpretation of science in daily life. Most science educators and science education researchers nonetheless believe that science education is intrinsically useful for students who do not go on to scientific or technical careers. This essay focuses on the 'usefulness' aspect of science literacy, which I contend has largely been reduced to a rhetorical claim. A truly useful version of science literacy must be connected to the real uses of science in daily life-what is sometimes called public engagement with science. A small number of science education researchers have already begun to connect science education and the broader field of public engagement with science. Their work, as well as the work of researchers who study public engagement, suggests that it is possible to salvage the 'usefulness' of science literacy by helping students become competent outsiders with respect to science. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 168-185, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The frequency of young people cutting themselves appears to be increasing, with one review estimating the current prevalence across the UK to be between 1 in 12 and 1 in 15. Aim To identify factors that are associated with self-harm by cutting, and more especially coping strategies that if encouraged might reduce such behaviour. Method Multivariate and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyse the results from a survey of the pupils attending four large comprehensive schools in the North of England where the frequency of cutting behaviour was causing concern. Results Three factors were identified from the analysis – Social & Active Coping, Seeking External Solutions and Non-Productive Coping. The Social & Active Coping was the only factor that significantly correlated with non-cutting behaviour. Conclusions The fostering of the elements that make up Social & Active Coping – namely working successfully and feeling a sense of achievement, together with positive friendship networks and positive diversions, including physical recreation, will help to minimize young people's sense of needing to cope by cutting themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To effectively respond to the need for greater CT (critical thinking) in the classroom, this study examines the effects of cultivating CT skills within civic education to maximize its potential. Despite realizing the importance of CT in education, schools do not tend to apply it. Furthermore, since students frequently do not raise questions or otherwise think critically, CT modules are incorporated into civic learning to encourage students to question facts, interpret and analyse evidence, make reasoned inferences regarding events, and independently develop informed opinions. These skills are fundamental to cultivating an informed and humane citizenry. Aims. This investigation examines how teaching critical thinking in civic education affects the CT skills and disposition of junior high school students. Sample. The participants were two classes of eighth grade students in southern Taiwan, and were distributed into experimental and control groups. Each group comprised 34 students, with the experimental group containing 16 boys and 18 girls and the control group containing 18 boys and 16 girls. Methods. The teaching experiment in this study was initiated and performed using equivalent pre-test and post-test group design. During the 10-week experiment, the experimental group was taught using CT instruction in civic education, while the control group was not taught with any CT programme. The data analysis included: quantitative statistics of the two main sets of instruments for measuring the CT ability and disposition of experimental treatment, qualitative analysis of learning sheets, and surveys of student perceptions of instruction in CT. Results and conclusions. Statistical analysis showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the scales of CT skill and disposition, but did not perform well on certain subscales (e.g. recognition of assumptions and deductions, truth-seeking, analyticity, and inquisitiveness). Notably however, when triangulating with qualitative analysis of learner transcripts and surveys, learners attempted to perform various dimensions of CT skill and disposition to various degrees. Student surveys indicated that the CT programme fostered their active listening and respect for different ideas, and moreover they learned to tolerate divergent views and examine their ideas for possible bias. The programme boosted student learning interest and sense of accomplishment, and nurtured their teamwork/communicative skills. Furthermore, a few students experienced improvements in their speaking skills and courage as their confidence and ability to express themselves improved. Finally, limitations of this investigation and implications for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the benefits of a project involving a community circus program developed for schools in Victoria to assist in addressing students; need for life skills acquisition. It describes the Westside Circus' "Circus in schools" program which introduces an occupational perspective to the evaluation of the educational program. According to the article, the occupational professional can play a key role in education reform.

This article provides an in-depth look at Colombia's national policy on national citizenship competencies designed to foster the peaceful resolution of conflict, promote the understanding of differences, and involve young people in mutual decision making and democratic engagement in schools. It also provides a brief overview of similar efforts in the United States in social and emotional learning and the development of civic engagement and compares and contrasts these efforts. Finally, it offers suggestions for school systems that wish to engage in similar processes to ensure the future of democracy and peaceful coexistence using education as the vehicle of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: This study assessed the effectiveness of a model for diffusing the Life Skills Training (LST) Program into middle schools, examined implementation fidelity, and explored factors associated with involvement in training and program implementation. A convenience sample of master trainers (n = 44) and teachers (n = 45) from 16 Kentucky counties participated. Teachers were observed for content and process fidelity, and trainers and teachers completed questionnaires to assess factors related to training and program implementation. More than one-fourth (27%) of master trainers conducted training sessions, and 60% of teachers taught the curriculum. While implementation fidelity was relatively high, teachers were less likely to use the more innovative elements of the program. Trainers and teachers who conducted training and/or taught the LST Program were more enthusiastic toward the program than those who did nothing beyond being trained. (J Sch Health. 2002;72(7):282-287) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the efficacy of pictorial self-management to teach daily living skills to low-functioning children with autism. Results showing that autistic children can successfully use pictures to manage their behavior in the absence of a treatment provider; Drawbacks to using pictorial self-management treatment.

Current Title XIX regulations stipulate that training to increase the dining skills of persons with developmental disabilities be provided in normal family-style settings. In experiment I, two professional staff provided a family-style setting for four profoundly disabled residents to evaluate the effects of a program using forward chaining, prompting, verbal praise, and a brief contingent observation on resident behavior at meals. In Experiment II, direct-care staff were trained to criterion on the techniques used in Experiment I and implemented and maintained the program with six other residents. Results of both studies indicated that the training program rapidly reduced challenging dining behaviors, while Experiment 2 also showed increases in adaptive dining behaviors and maintenance of those changes at I- and 2-month follow-ups. These results provide support for the feasibility of using direct-care staff to provide training in dining skills in a normalized group setting for persons with profound developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holden Psychological Screening Inventory, a 36-item screening inventory for psychosocial adjustment, was administered pre- and posttreatment to 31 psychiatric patients enrolled in a 16-week life skills education program. Statistically significant improvements in the Depression Symptomatology, Social Symptomatology, and Total scores were obtained, but the Psychiatric Symptomatology scale did not improve significantly. Size of effect was larger for Depression Symptomatology (.52) and Social Symptomatology (.30) than for Psychiatric Symptomatology (.23). On a 6-point scale all patients rated their overall satisfaction with the program on the two most favorable categories, excellent and very good. The results provide support for life skills education programming for psychiatric patients as part of the treatment and recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies the outcome predictors of the coping skills training of chronic alcoholics in a Toronto, Ontario-based coeducational halfway house. Occupancy rates; Length of stay; Mode of discharge.

This article presents short-term results of a programme aimed at preventing substance abuse in girls with and without psychosocial problems. The programme employed is a modified version of Botvin and colleagues' Life Skills Training; it was administered over a 2-year period, in two phases. Each phrase consisted of workshops pertaining to the development of personal and social skills. Added to the original programme was a token economy whereby positive reinforcements were given for participation in the programme both during the workshops and for homework completed. A total of 71 girls between the ages 11 and 12 years participated in the programme when they were in fifth and sixth grades. A total of 27 girls served as a control group, i.e. they were evaluated at pre- and post-test but did not participate in the programme. Some of the girls in each group had psycho- social problems (i.e. behavioural difficulties, peer rejection), whereas some of the girls in each group did not. The results showed that the prevention programme influenced knowledge regarding cigarettes, attitudes towards cigarettes and marijuana, as well as use of alcohol and marijuana. These positive results were evident for girls with and without behavioural problems. The advantages and limits of this type of prevention programme are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave vacuum drying (MVD) was reported to be an efficient method to dehydrate vegetables. In this study, fresh okra was dehydrated by this technique. Orthogonal design was used to optimize the drying parameters (microwave power, vacuum level, and loading density) to achieve high drying rate and product quality. Microwave power (500, 700, and 900 W), vacuum level (45, 60, and 75 kPa) and loading density (3, 4, and 5 kg/m2) were set up as the treatment factors. Drying rate, energy consumption, rehydration rate, color change, total phenol, and flavonoid contents were evaluated as the responding quality parameters. The optimal drying parameters of okra were identified as 900 W of microwave power, 60 kPa of vacuum level and 5 kg/m2 of loading density. Fresh okra was then dehydrated under MVD, hot air drying, and vacuum freezing drying. Results showed that microwave vacuum drying method was most efficient, with the drying rate as high as 2.36 ± 0.05 g/min. The contents of total phenol and flavonoid in the products of microwave vacuum drying had no significant difference from that of vacuum freeze drying and were significantly higher than that of hot air drying. Practical applications: MVD is an efficient and energy‐saving technology, compared with the conventional hot air drying or vacuum freeze drying. Meanwhile, it could retain the color, flavor, nutrients, and bioactive compounds in the product, thus it is a promising method to dehydrate vegetables and fruits. Okra is rich in nutrients and is of increasing demand worldwide. Whereas it tends to spoil even at refrigerated temperature, so that a practical drying art is essential to be developed. This study proved the feasibility and efficiency of dying okra by MVD, and worked out an optimized drying condition under MVD, which could be a guide in okra processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses various subjects that Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) scientists need to appreciate in order to grow in an industrial context. The author indicates the importance of creating educational models needed by PhDs to identify themselves for the job market in the private group. The author suggests that skills must be imparted to PhDs to make them competitive and valuable in a company. Among the topics include bioethics, biostatistics and clinical trials.

Presents guidelines for teaching elementary and middle school students how to acquire skills necessary for dealing with life situations.