Life Skill Training Curriculum

With the widespread increase of single parent homes and overwhelmed parents, there is a generation of boys growing up largely without the consistent influence of godly, mature men in their lives. These boys grow up and try to figure out life for themselves, hoping they hit on a means to pull off a successful life. Currently employers are beginning to see the impact of this phenomenon on the workforce as more and more young people seek jobs without being properly prepared to responsibly fill those positions. There is a major deficit of soft skills among younger generations that must be addressed if they are to be successful in life. But whose responsibility is it to teach these young people? 

Colleges and employers are seeing the need and trying to do something about it, but by the time a person is the age to encounter one of these entities, their moral compass is generally set. We need to reach them earlier. If a single parent is stretched too thin to provide the training their children need at home, someone must step into the gap and take on the responsibility. Without this intervention, the situation will only grow perpetually worse. This is why we are partnering with churches to find godly mentors who are willing to step into the gap and make a difference in the life of a young person. 

Without the impact of godly mentors, this program accomplishes very little. We know that responsible people are busy, with jobs and families to take care of. This is why we, Shelter Rock Ranch, do as much of the preparation as possible, by providing high quality, all-inclusive instructional plans and materials. We also make available crucial training for instructors and mentors that will aid in conducting a successful unit. The curriculum provided is set up to conduct monthly 3-hour meetings.

Your church or Men’s Ministry group provides leadership, instructors, and mentors for your own Life Skill Training unit. You also market the program to your church and community to bring in the youth who will be a part of the training. While instructors will naturally have to put in a bit more work in preparation for presenting the materials, mentors from the church or community would only need to show up with a willingness to cultivate a relationship with one or more youth during the time the unit meets. They will be assigned a table and will lead discussion times with the provided materials. Churches may want to consider having mentors reach out to the participants in between meetings as a way to strengthen the relationship and have a mid-month touch point to check in with and encourage participants.

If your church wishes to include girls in the program or conduct a separate program for girls using the same curriculum, note that there are elements that can be adjusted such as the opening activities, significations of rank, and/or the end of year trip.

This training has been developed to engage all types of learners (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) to maximize the learning experience. Participants are given written materials for each training they attend. These can be collected in a Life Skill Book and used for future reference. The activities and projects that go along with each topic are specially planned to illustrate vital truths and help youth practice the skills they are learning, taking mere information and turning it into useable experiences to draw from.

Activities – 1-5 minute, hands-on games, actions, or illustrations. These can serve as attention grabbers that help show participants the importance of the soft skill being introduced, as well as, opportunities to put the skill into immediate practice.

Instruction/Training – Each concept and skill is introduced and taught in an easily understood manner that does not assume participants have prior knowledge about the topic. This ensures that no one is left behind in the process.

Projects – These are most often applied to the life skill section of training. Each project may be anywhere from 30 minutes – 2 hours in length and allows the participants to practice doing the skill they are learning about.

The segments of each training may be rearranged and tailored to the needs of each group. However, we highly recommend that the soft skill be introduced before the life skill. God instructs us in 2 Peter 1:5 to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge. While knowledge (life skills) are important, virtue (soft skills) gets priority. Each training is really centered around the soft skill the participants are learning. Each life skill is chosen to help create a fertile environment in which to practice the new soft skill.

Any life skill lessons can be replaced with another life skill that better suits the skills and abilities of your instructors. For example, if you have no one in your unit who is familiar with carpentry, you can substitute that skill for something one of your instructors has some experience with.

Instructors 

Opening challenges, lesson content, projects, and activities have all been included in the curriculum. Instructors should feel free to add personal insight and experience they have picked up through the years while presenting the materials and information provided. While each instructor brings to the table his or her own presentation style and personality, it is important that the material is presented clearly and succinctly. We want to help our young people develop a longer attention span and the ability to concentrate under adverse or boring circumstances, but the fact is, most of them don’t have that ability when they begin training. All lecture and no activity or verbal interaction is not a good recipe for most young people to learn. As an instructor, it is your responsibility to present the material in a way that inspires the participants to pick it up and use it. Whenever possible, find a way for the participants to actively do what you are talking about rather than just hearing about it or even seeing it done.

All instructors are highly encouraged to take the training provided through Shelter Rock Ranch to become credentialed Life Skill Instructors. Information and available training dates can be found on the Instructor Training page.

Mentors

Mentors are vital to this program. The two-fold goal of the Life Skill Training program is to impart critical information and to foster critical relationships that will aid in the development and success of the youth who participate. By choosing to take part in the classes, mentors demonstrate that both the information and the youth themselves are of great importance. Consistent participation from month to month communicates to the young people that a mentor can be trusted and counted on. It is also the mentors who help the participants understand how to apply these skills to their specific life situations and goals. The best mentors are able to set aside the natural tendency to gravitate only toward other mentors they know at the event and consciously focus on engaging the young people in conversation and activity.

Mentors should ideally be committed to contacting the people in their group at least once a month, outside of the training event, to see how they are progressing with their individual goals. They should also be committed to praying for each person in their group.

All mentors are highly encouraged to take the training provided through Shelter Rock Ranch to become certified Life Skill Mentors. Information and available training dates can be found on the Mentor Orientation page.

Suggested Schedule of Events

8:45-9:00 – Basketball (optional pre-training activity)

9:00-9:05 – Opening Challenge

9:05-9:10 – Welcome, Recite Values, Prayer, Introductions around tables

9:10-9:50 – Soft skill training

9:50-10:00 – Activity/Discussion about soft skill

10:00-10:15 – Basketball Break (optional mid-training activity)

10:15-11:00 – Hands on Life Skill Training

11:00-11:05 – Discuss how soft skill has been practiced during the training

11:05-11:45 – Hands on Life Skill Training Continued

11:45-12:00 – Manhood Missions

Year 1

Soft Skill                                          Life Skill

Initiative                                               Health and Fitness

Integrity                                               Finances

Responsibility                                     Basic Home Repairs - Carpentry*

Teamwork                                            Emergency Preparedness

Thoroughness                                     Auto Upkeep and Repair - Oil & Tire

Wisdom                                                Safety and Self-Defense

Organization                                       Time Management

Discernment                                       Basic Home Repairs - Carpentry II**

Honor                                                    Interview Basics

Dependability                                     Lawncare

  *Introduction to tools and how to use    **Complete carpentry project

Year 2

Soft Skill                                          Life Skill

Thriftiness                                           Personal Finance

Determination                                   Obstacle Park

Alertness                                             Safety and Self-Defense

Justice                                                 Communication

Ownership                                          Basic Cooking

Obedience                                          Navigating the Civic System

Meekness                                            Anger Resolution

Diligence                                             Health & Fitness – Mental Health

Analytical Skills                                  Basic Home Repairs – Plumbing

Gentleness                                          Chivalry

Year 3

Soft Skill                                          Life Skill

Endurance                                          Rock Climbing

Generosity                                          Finances

Resourcefulness                               Basic Home Repair – Flooring*

Availability                                          Auto Upkeep and Repair

Forgiveness                                       Coping Skills

Cautiousness                                     Safety and Self Defense

Loyalty                                                 How to Seek Counsel

Orderliness                                         Basic Home Repair – Flooring II**

Patience                                              Fishing

Compassion                                       CPR/First Aid

 *Basic installation                            **Working with concrete

Year 4

Soft Skill                                          Life Skill

Courage                                               Confidence

Contentment                                     Finances

Flexibility                                             Basic Home Repairs – Painting*

Gratefulness                                        Auto Upkeep and Repair – Detailing

Joyfulness                                           Basic Home Repairs – Painting II**

Self-Control                                         Anger Resolution

Honesty                                               Map Reading

Faith                                                     How to Study the Bible

Persuasiveness                                  Safety and Self Defense

Sincerity                                              Horticulture

  *Basic painting skills                        **Patching drywall

Year 5

Soft Skill                                          Life Skill

Punctuality                                         Paying Bills

Tolerance                                             Auto Upkeep and Repair – Visibility

Love                                                      Conflict Resolution

Creativity                                             Basic Home Repairs – Electrical

Hospitality                                           Social Etiquette

Humility                                               Safety and Self Defense

Discretion                                            Coping Skills

Respect                                                Horsemanship

Decisiveness                                       Basic Home Repairs – Electrical II

Enthusiasm                                         Customer Service Skills

  *How to install light fixtures       **How to replace electrical sockets