Building Independence Through Life Skills

January 21, 2025

At Green Chimneys, education extends beyond the classroom walls. Students gain academic knowledge and practical tools essential for returning to their home school districts and communities, or for independent living as they grow into young adults. When residential students arrive, staff administer a life skills assessment to establish a baseline and identify skill gaps. The assessment is repeated at discharge to ensure our programs effectively improve each student’s skills.

Teaching Life Skills

Through guided instruction and hands-on experiences, students develop age-appropriate skills, beginning with simpler tasks such as maintaining personal hygiene, organizing their belongings, and keeping personal spaces clean. As they mature, students tackle more complex tasks required for independent living, including meal preparation, nutrition, budgeting, and navigating public transportation. Lessons in communication, social interactions, and problem-solving build confidence and empower students to self-advocate.

Life Skills in Action

One structured way students practice these skills is through weekly Residential Life Skill Groups. During these sessions, residents and staff discuss a monthly topic tailored to current needs and relevant issues that support students’ present and future goals. Residential Program Development Supervisor Brooke Su explains, “Focusing on a single topic for an entire month and breaking lessons into smaller components reinforces the subject matter, aids retention, and ensures everyone is understands the topic.”

Each week’s lesson includes a mini-lecture, video clips, and hands-on activities to reinforce concepts. For example, during discussions about digital footprints, students explored questions like “Am I addicted to my cell phone?” and “Who are you on social media?” They also examined the publicly available information on their social media profiles. Brooke noted that students were surprised to learn how much personal information strangers could access when they didn’t use proper privacy settings.

By experiencing firsthand how their online presence appears to others, students understood why being aware of their digital footprint is important. “Learning by doing fosters a deeper understanding of a subject and helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Brooke shares.

These life skills serve as essential building blocks for students’ future success. Learning life skills isn’t just a program component—it’s a pathway to independence and a brighter future for every student. Learn more about Green Chimneys residential program.