Program Teaches All About Life

Mon., Sept. 2, 1996

Elana Ashanti Jefferson Staff writer

Your friend walks out of the store and offers you some candy. He gets a funny look on his face when you ask him how he got the candy.

You and a classmate are walking down the street when an older student stomps toward you. He starts bullying and teasing you.

A Japanese family moves into your neighborhood. An 8-year-old girl from the family watches you and a friend play. She wants to play, too, but the only English word she knows is “Hi!”

This year, some elementary students in the Spokane area will ponder these scenarios as part of a new class, All About Life.

Topics covered in the 20-lesson life-skills curriculum, developed by the King County Department of Public Health, include relationships, communication, conflict resolution, stress management and sexual abuse prevention.

“The goal of the curriculum is to prepare our young people to care about themselves, their families and their community,” reads the All About Life introduction.

Tricia Stephenson introduced All About Life to 33 area schools and community centers. Formerly a VISTA volunteer for the Spokane County Health District, Stevenson says, “My task was to go around to the schools and kind of sell the class.”

A community health graduate from Western Washington University, Stephenson modestly explains that four VISTA volunteers across the state tried to implement All About Life, but she “was the only one who was able to get it placed.”

Lisa Carl is assistant coordinator for Express, a before- and after-school child-care program serving 31 schools in Spokane School District 81. Carl says the All About Life segments that focus on self-esteem will be particularly valuable to the child-care providers she supervises. “When kids have positive selfesteem, they can excel in so many other areas,” she says.

If you’d like to bring All About Life to an elementary school or community center in your neighborhood, call 324-1664.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and wellbeing. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call Elana Jefferson at 459-5419. To get involved with HIP, call 482-2557.

Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and wellbeing. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call Elana Jefferson at 459-5419. To get involved with HIP, call 482-2557.

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