Life Skills is a part of Middle School Personal and Social Education (PSE), and PSE is an integral part of life at UWCSEA. The purpose of Life Skills is to enable our students to become confident, proactive, and independent young people who are inspired by the UWC mission. The Life Skills course aims to provide students with a variety of opportunities to learn about the following:

• identifying personal strengths and reflect on areas for development

• develop a greater sense of self

• attaining relationship building skills with peers and adults

• learning to manage and maintain a network of positive relationships

• managing stress and anxiety

• being more informed when making choices.

At Middle School, the Life Skills curriculum aims to scaffold the knowledge and understanding of our students in the following areas:

• Personal identity, positive self, mindfulness; 

• Human development and sexuality; 

• Healthy lifestyle: active living, food and nutrition, substance awareness; 

• Self-management: personal safety, financial literacy and independence; 

• Citizenship in a digital world: privacy and safety, ethical communication, and access and ownership; 

• Healthy relationships: conflict management, diversity and equality, positive relationships and sexuality.

Approaches to Learning are reported for the Life Skills course in the areas of self-manager, collaborator, and communicator.

Life Skills classes meet once a week throughout the entire academic year. Students will need to be self-directed, and are expected to come to class prepared to learn and be actively engaged at all times. Participating in Life Skills will enable students to explore ideas, think critically, and represent their opinions in various ways, thus preparing them to reach the larger goals of our UWCSEA curriculum, and to transfer skills to all elements of their life. Students will have many opportunities to share their thinking, seek guidance from others, and develop their own ideas.