Life Skills Class Helps Build Stability

Cooking Matters Intern Instructor Jessica talks about types and amounts of food that make a complete diet

Our Student and Family Support Program team has worked diligently to develop a fall curriculum around an integral component to our moms finding stability in their lives: life skills. Launched this fall, FloCrit’s Life Skills class utilizes various partners to support our teen moms as they develop new and critical life skills, as well as build their social capital and professional development. Partners include Operation Hope, a financial literacy organization that works to disrupt the cycle of poverty and empower inclusion for low and moderate-income youth and adults; Cooking Matters, a nutritional organization that provides activities focused around health and nutrition for our young moms who struggle with limited food budgets, and teach them how to shop for and cook healthy, affordable meals; and Butterfly Rising, a life-coaching organization that helps students with goal setting through a focus on nature. Also teaching classroom lessons is Madison Caparros, our Housing Coordinator, who teaches our moms about housing services and information. Read more about the new Housing Coordinator position and our current efforts to secure safe and affordable housing for our teen moms on pages 4 and 5.

Madison talks about types of housing

“We have amazing partners that teach practical skills in the area of financial literacy, housing, nutrition, and relationship-building,” says Frank Knappe, our Family Engagement Coordinator who oversees the Life Skills class. “Our partners have all done a great job of taking the time to understand our community at Florence Crittenton and take a genuine interest in helping our students set goals and walking away with necessary skills that they learn in the Life Skills class.” 

As the year progresses, our teen moms are learning a range of different skills to build stability in their lives, grow as students and moms, and developing friendships and networks with one another. “My favorite part of the class is connecting with the students and understanding their needs outside of school,” Frank says. He looks forward to the Life Skills class becoming a regular component of FloCrit programming and is already preparing for next year’s curriculum.