As important as it is to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, hands-on workshops in high school teach essential life skills to prepare individuals to live independently. The development of life skills is an ongoing process. The World Health Organization identified five critical life skills: decision-making, problem-solving, communication, creative thinking, and interpersonal relations.

Therefore, preparation to become responsible adults and contributing community members is the aim of the Seven

Summits Centre for Learning workshops.

Group activities that teach students teamwork is commonplace throughout all classes; however, modelling lifestyle behaviours with life skills are offered in workshops such as physical activity and foods.

“In PE and Foods, students must learn to work together. As a team, they empathize with each other, share responsibilities and manage their time effectively,” said workshop mentor Tara Hauck. “Learning about the economics of the kitchen and positive self-image development through exercise is important to provide improved independent life skills.”

Other critical life skills include cleaning up, self-improvement, stress management, and a growth mindset. “It can’t just be someone else’s problem. Students learn to play a positive role by being part of the team, whether cleaning the kitchen after cooking or tidying up the equipment; a willingness to help is necessary,” concludes Hauck.

7S PE, Foods, and Arts workshops use curiosity to promote student life skills. Classes start with a premise and move through the activity to produce a result. The catalyst is curiosity. This fantastic force is vital to the success of each lesson. Many journals and publications show young adults becoming productive and successful adults through

their curiosity. Why does that work? How does that matter? When can I do it again?

“If students are curious, they may not necessarily need to be interested or motivated to cook or exercise; they just try it because their interest is piqued. Like TRX class, disc golf, biathlon, or making homemade pasta. These are not ordinary things students may have been exposed to before, so they are curious to try them and often want more,” said Hauck.

Curiosity may be bad for the cat, but it cured the child. One does not have to teach a child to be curious or to have fun, only to provide situations where their curiosity is awakened. As adults, curiosity reigns when we read a book,…