Flourish is a value-based life skills course for adolescents which teaches them key knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and to prepare for life as valued members of their communities. It is important to support young people as they go through their teenage years because during that time they are learning who they are and how they fit into society, so they need extra support and help to gain confidence and make the most of the opportunities around them.

The programme was originally created for girls in India, but has since also been used for both males and females in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal.

Methodology:

The course has been designed to be used in schools, with community groups or in child care institutions. The course looks at the potential of being a teenager and has 3 core values which run throughout the training:

• I am a unique and precious creation
• I respect myself and others
• I am an asset to my community

Based on these 3 core values, the course has 15 sessions covering the topics:

• Knowing Myself
• Relating to others
• Making Decisions about my Life

A trainer teaches these topics in 40-minute sessions, which are very participatory with students joining in with different exercises, activities and role play. Mentors also attend the sessions to help students in smaller groups to think about how they will put into practice what they have learnt.

Throughout the course the image of a flourishing tree is used to represent the kind of life the young people could live with help from this course. From the core values of the roots, to the practical steps of the fruit, the whole process of a student going through the Flourish course is represented on the tree.

To measure progress, the students undertake an assessment at the beginning and end of the course.