Young people are a dynamic force for good. We’re more than a century into service and committed as ever to sustaining our impact over the next 100 years. That’s why we devote ourselves to serving youth as beneficiaries, youth as partners, and empowering youth as service leaders.
Dallas Everest Lions Club improves access to quality education, vital health services, and positive youth development for young people around the world. Lions Quest, our signature youth education program, is a social-emotional learning curriculum that gives students the skills to navigate life and prevent bullying and substance abuse.
Lions Quest Program
Lions Quest programs are built on the foundation of an educational approach known as Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Statistics
Here’s how social-emotional learning impacts young people:
- Students who participate in SEL showed improved classroom behavior, reduced rates of stress and depression, and improved attitudes towards their school, their peers, and their own self-image. SEL programs like Lions Quest increased students’ academic performance by up to 11 percent.
- The effects of SEL programs like Lions Quest are long-lasting. Kindergarteners who participate in SEL programs and have stronger SEL skills are more likely to graduate high school, go to college/university, and obtain stable employment as young adults.
- Including SEL and character development is critical for educating the whole child. This approach can help bridge the achievement gap between students from high- and low-income settings and improve economic mobility for disadvantaged students.
- Schools with positive school climate practices like Lions Quest have lower rates of bullying and absenteeism. Students in schools with positive school climate practices were more motivated to learn and had higher achievement scores over both the short and long term.
- Bullying in schools harms all students – not just those immediately impacted. A study of student achievement scores across 30 countries found a direct correlation between bullying and student reading scores.
- Research from Harvard University found that students participating in Lions Quest reported significantly improved perceptions of the school climate as a whole, and improved perceptions of physical and emotional safety.
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Critical thinking and creativity
- Ability to work in a team environment
- Communications skills with people inside and outside an organization
- Leadership and the ability to effectively motivate others
- Strong work ethic and perseverance
- Source: Statistics from Child Development, American Journal of Public Health, and Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security
How school climate affects young people:
Source: Statistics from UNICEF and Review of Educational Research
What Young People Learn in Lions Quest
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently published the results of a survey of top employers outlining the skills desired in new college graduates. Likewise, the World Economic Forum identified the top skills needed for the jobs of the future. The most necessary and desired skills are not related to any STEM field or technical proficiency. Instead, they are competencies directly related to the social and emotional skills built by Lions Quest: