clear   Appendix:   Learning for Life
Nashville, Tennessee

Learning for Life, created by Learning Systems Group Inc. and funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, uses an arts curriculum to help preadolescent African-American girls resist drugs and alcohol and embrace positive, creative, social activities. The program works with 45 girls from local middle schools and two housing projects on self-discovery activities involving drama, dance, music, and visual arts. Throughout the school year, girls use an arts curriculum to explore questions of identity and community such as, "Who am I?" and "With whom do I belong?" Role playing and skits enable them to practice assertiveness and refusal skills. The program celebrates Afrocentric holidays, incorporates field trips, and gives girls a chance to meet female community leaders and role models. Families are encouraged to participate in activities and reinforce positive attitudes and behaviors. Girls are rewarded for their participation in a community prevention project.

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Guiding Principles for Promising
Female Programming
October 1998