Life Skills is a unique program for teens in the San Diego Center for Children’s Clark Residential Program. It helps the teens learn about the community and develop skills to be more successful in their lives.

Teens who participate can learn practical day-to-day skills, including how to cook and the importance of eating healthy foods, how to find different resources in the community, how to use public transportation, and how to take care of one’s personal appearance and understand its importance.

Qualifying students can also become certified in CPR, First Aid and Food Handlers, participate in off-campus student internships, take continuing education classes, and attend off-campus community lectures. The program also places a special emphasis on teaching teens how to be positive members of one’s community.

Teens in our Life Skills Program volunteer in the community with The Alpha Project, Just Call Us Volunteers, and The Adopt-A-Beach Program. As well, teens learn valuable lessons about healthy eating and living by participating in our gardening project.

Teens also pick-up compostable materials at area restaurants and deliver them to organic farms, and to our own Center on-campus garden. Compost piles are made and then later used by all three working gardens to help produce and grow organic fruits and vegetables. As part of this project, teens build positive relationships with respected chefs and farmers in the community while learning about and supporting sustainable farming efforts.

Life Skills is a creative, multi-faceted program funded by the San Diego County Mental Health Department. It continues to prove successful at providing adaptive and positive tools to help teens deal more effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

For immediate assistance call the Center at 858-277-9550

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Kids Stories . . .
One of the skills the kids learn is how to compost. Along with that, they get a chance to see the inside of commercial restaurant kitchens and meet the chefs. Here is a short video on this part of the Life Skills program.

Life Skills is not just about what things you can do. It is as much about who you want to become. Life Skills introduces young people to inspirational people. This article is about the determination of a chef in her personal life and how she has inspired kids in the Life Skills program.