20 • PART TWO: FACILITATOR’S GUIDE
USING DATA FOR PLANNING
Once the data is collected, analysis should be
conducted using simple counting, tables and
graphs. Whichever method is used, analysis
requires experience; it is suggested that research
experts be involved in this process. If information
has been collected from the community, do not
forget to share your findings with them, and if
possible, include children as well. This can be done
in a simple manner through an oral or visual
presentation.
This information is your first step in planning a
Life Skills Education Program. The Bridge Model
(please refer to the illustration on page 21) is a
useful tool to decide which set of life skills tools
should be chosen for your program. The model is
a visual tool for listing problems and choosing
specific for program development. A brief
description of the model is presented below.
On one side of the bridge are the knowledge, beliefs
and attitudes that young people currently have
about HIV/AIDS. The children have to “cross” the
bridge to get to the opposite side of the river, which
is where a positive, healthy lifestyle resides. The
river represents all of the problems that children
face that prevent them from reaching the other
side. The Life Skills Education Program therefore
develops “planks” (blocks of wood) to be placedside by side to make a bridge; each plank represents
a life skill that can be added to help children “cross
over” the “river of problems.”
As discussed earlier, children are often resilient and
acquire positive coping mechanisms along the way.
These strengths, identified during the planning
process when the needs of the children were
assessed, are the “positive planks.” When building
the bridge for the program, these “positive planks”
can be identified by using a different color from
skills the children still need to learn.^13 Program
staffs need to be as specific as possible when
defining the “planks.” Adaptation of the Bridge
Model makes the tool versatile and easily
adaptable; as children work through the Life Skills
Education Program and the “positive planks” grow
in number, the field worker can easily identify and
work with the life skills’ “missing planks.”
The Bridge Model helps in planning goals and
objectives. In the above example, the children’s goal
is a positive lifestyle and avoiding risky situations.
To reach the goal, the program objectives are to
increase knowledge of HIV, reduce alcohol and
substance use, and increase accessibility of youth
services. In order to accomplish this, a number of
life skills are needed. Since life skills are interrelated,
it is a good idea for the children to learn all the
psychosocial skills (or life skills) although emphasis
on specific skills may vary.(^13) This adaptation of the Bridge Model and using ‘positive planks’ is that of the author.