Botvin LifeSkills® Training (LST) is an internationally recognized, evidence-based program that supports the decrease of risky behaviors such as drug and/or alcohol use, violence, aggression, and delinquency.  By providing youth with effective social skills and self-management skills, such as communication and anxiety management, LST decreases the motivation to use drugs and the vulnerability to social influences that support drug use.  LST provides foundational skills for successful youth development through its alignment with CASEL’s five core SEL competencies. Its cognitive behavioral approach uses a variety of teaching techniques to facilitate discussion, which provides key knowledge, coaching, and behavior skill practice. LST should be considered an approach that can be used effectively in both schools and youth-serving organizations to support the social and emotional development of youth.

What is SEL?

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a Chicago based non-profit organization that for over 20 years has been leading the nation in the area of social and emotional learning.  CASEL provides a unique combination of research, practice, and policy to support its mission to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) become an integral part of education from preschool to high school.

SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.  CASEL has identified five core SEL competencies:  self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

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