The goal of the Skills for Life program is to equip students with the necessary academic, work readiness and social skills to graduate from high school and choose positive college or career options. Skills for Life, a Best Practices program, meets the critical need for youth programming for public and assisted housing residents by making a direct connection between the world of work and the academic preparation required for career success. The Skills for Life program provides students with a systematic way of learning about jobs, careers, and the pathways that must be traversed to enter various occupations, particularly growth occupations.

The Skills for Life program provides academic enrichment in English, Math, and Science, as well as homework assistance, career exploration, and service learning. These concrete skills in core areas are augmented with computer technology, case management, and mentoring. The services are offered three hours per day, five days per week in community-based organizations, which are member agencies of the Greater Philadelphia Federation of Settlements (GPFS).

Students are from conventional public housing, scattered sites and housing choice properties. The Skills for Life opportunity is fairly and equitably distributed geographically rather than targeting one community to receive all of the opportunities. Students and community partners meet the additional challenges of working with geographic diversity.

Learn more about Skills for Life by clicking here.