DEFINING BALANCE

February 17, 2008 - Calgary Sun

The teen years are often considered the most challenging years of growing up, but an independent study conducted by the University of Calgary has proven the teen years do not have to be that difficult. The research found students in the Werklund Foundation’s / Rapport Empowered Education Teen Leadership Breakthrough program developed and maintained increased self-esteem, confidence, emotional intelligence, and social and communications skills. Alexander Daum, an 18-year-old Calgary high school student who took part in the study last May, said the three-day program changed his outlook on life. “It really helped me define what was important in my life and boost my integrity,” said Daum.

The program gave students team building and trust challenges as well as opportunities to step out of their comfort zones into domains like public speaking. Daum, who later worked as a volunteer leader at a later program, said teenagers have a difficult time discovering who they are and the program showed him how to deal with the rough patches. “As a teenager, it’s extremely stressful trying to balance all the different things going on in your life,” he said. “And I have a really strong personality, but now I understand how to listen to others as well.” The results of the study, released by the University of Calgary this week, showed students who excelled in the program had greater success in school and in life. Dr. Anne McKeough, professor in the Division of Applied Psychology and conductor of the study, said the capacity of students to maintain the skills they learned sets the program apart from any other. “Social skills training can produce significant, immediate changes, but this program was proven to have significant long-term effects in participants, making the findings of this study rare.”