takes a look at `Life Skills', one of the agencies that operate under the umbrella of the Trust. Over the next few weeks, we will feature other programmes that are actively involved in Bermuda's fight against alcohol and drug abuse.

*** With recent reports suggesting that the Lions-Quest Life Skills programme may be one of the more successful drug prevention strategies for young people, the Bermuda Life Skills Group (BLSG) is gearing up to introduce its message to middle and senior school students.

The programme, which provides a special curriculum designed to deter pre-teens and teens from abusing drugs and alcohol, began quietly enough in the USA when Gilbert Botvin, director of Cornell University's Institute for Prevention Research, developed a prevention concept that was based on behavioural data on children and teens. Rather than being exhorted to "just say NO'', the Life Skills idea, said director Botvin at the time, "is to present drug resistance in a larger context that includes social skills.'' With a `fun' approach that has students involved in role-playing, skits, and the kind of problem-solving exercises that young people face in real life, the effectiveness of Life Skills is now being recognised. According to TIME magazine, for instance, the Life Skills approach is proving more successful than other, far costlier programmes; a New Jersey survey indicates that use of drugs and alcohol has been halved among those engaged in the Life Skills programme .

As one of the charities under the umbrella of The Council Partners Charitable Trust, BLSG (together with the Department of Education) last week hosted three separate training workshops at the Sonesta Beach Hotel.

About 100 teachers, counsellors, parents, police officers, nurses and other community workers gathered for the Wednesday through Friday get-together which, under three trainers from Quest International in Utah, covered Skills for Growing (five to nine-year olds), Skills for Adolescence (10 to 14) and Skills for Action (15 to 18-year olds).

In order to get their message across, the trainers had participators acting out the roles of children or teens and, in the case of Skills for Action (slated to be introduced into Bermuda's senior schools this September) had them take part in community service projects. These included hands-on assistance at the Government dog kennels, cleaning schools, helping out at Windreach Farm and Village (a facility for the disabled), and a beach clean-up at Scaur Hill.

Prevention is a long-haul commitment, says Musson Coordinator Janette Musson, an education officer with responsibility for Life Skills, is now in her fourth year of involvement with the implementation of the programme in Bermuda's schools. "I think that what everyone has to understand is that prevention is a long-haul commitment for a better tomorrow and we have to work at it for the long-term. We do see some fairly quick results in certain areas but that doesn't mean we can put our tools down. We have to be prepared to `hang tough' with this programme. If people are to have drug-free life-styles, then the development and learning that is necessary can only take place over a period of time. I came on board when `Skills for Growing' was developed. We saw that the programme needed to start with young people and progress through adolescence and beyond. So we trained the primary school teachers and completed the bulk of that one year ago. As far as possible, all primary school teachers, counsellors, principals and even Lions and other community people, such as Youth and Sport's after-school programmes have now been trained.'' Noting that successful implementation requires the active involvement of the community, Mrs. Musson said it was her job to "make sure all this comes together. One of the reasons Bermuda Life Skills was formed was to oversee this aspect of community outreach. The other part of the mandate, of course, was to be accountable for the funds that are channelled into the programme.'' Explaining that Council Partners saw the need for a charity that took responsibility for the Life Skills' task of disseminating information in the community, it was considered essential that some of the funds be channelled toward the training of a wide range of people in the community. "In a way,'' she added, "the thrust of Life Skills is also to get the support system back -- let all of us become part of the support system for these children! Parents, of course, have their role to play, but there are others as well -- we have to bring children back along the path that used to work when the family and community was a tighter unit. Adults used to take a stand when they saw a child behaving badly -- I think we need to get back to that kind of involvement.'' Mrs. Musson also emphasised that the Life Skills programme has to be fully integrated into a school's curriculum and social values, a reflection of how students, teachers and parents think and behave. "If it's treated merely as an `add-on' and we don't carry through, or apply it to our lives in a practical and ongoing way, it is not likely to have a lasting impact. We have to decide what we are looking for in terms of outcome, so we have challenged the schools to make those decisions.'' Recommending that the programme is taught at least twice a week, 45 minutes for each session, Mrs. Musson points out that some teachers can do this by integrating with other topics, such as general health. "The programme does lend itself to integration so that it can be taught through various themes. We have to be quite clear as to how the programme can help change negative behaviour and attitudes, recognising that other, related programmes such as Learning Through Landscapes, the Police Service's `Reach' programme or the educational projects at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo are all part of the whole - to understand that all of these concepts come together, with the whole community working to create a better, more positive climate for young people to grow up in.'' The workshop trainers were Cindy Castagna (Skills for Growing), Dr. Ted Coleman (Skills for Adolescence) and Dr. Steve Dunn (Skills for Action).

"Steve and I have been here about eight times now,'' said Dr. Coleman, a former college professor, "we were in the original thrust of implementation and we started to make connection and were able to do some useful team-building with some of the principals involved. We have found the participants to be receptive, responsive, and enthusiastic about the programmes.'' Cheryl Burrows, who teaches Business Studies to 15 to 17-year olds at Berkeley Institute, said she found the Skills for Action workshop very helpful. "I was very impressed. It's an excellent programme that could definitely be utilised in the school system. I think that guidance counsellors will probably be the ones to set it up throughout the senior schools. I was approached because I am chairing a committee at school on leadership roles for senior students and most of the things taught in the workshop would definitely apply to that.'' As a teacher of seven and eight-year-olds at Prospect Primary, Patricia Lambert was also enthusiastic. "I can apply my newly learned skills to create games that get the message across to younger children. I shall start putting what I have learned here into practice right away. At school, we read a lot of bible stories and how to apply them to life, and this goes a little further.

It helps you to cope with the way that life and values have changed.'' Lynn Lalone, parent and president of the PTA at Gilbert Institute was one of the volunteers who opted to attend the workshop. "Skills for Growing is already being implemented at Gilbert and it's working so well, we wanted to have more people to be familiar with the methods and concepts and help get the message out to other parents. I thought the presentation of the workshop was brilliant -- fun to do, and I've learned so much in the process that will help my own two children, both at school and in the home.'' GOING INTO ACTION -- Members of the Skills for Action workshop cleaned trash from Scaur Hill beach as part of the community service thrust that is taught to senior school students in the new Life Skills programme.