LifeSkills Training (LST) Grants
LifeSkills Training (LST) is a universal social and emotional skills building/drug and violence prevention curriculum designed for all students in middle school (grades 6-8 or 7-9) and high school (grade 9 or 10). The programs are typically delivered by classroom teachers, but can also be delivered by other school staff, school resource officers, or mental health professionals.
The middle school program is a three-year curriculum that contains 15 days of core lessons in Level 1, 10 days in Level 2, and 5 days in Level 3, plus optional violence prevention lessons. The high school program is a single-year curriculum that includes 10 sessions. LST aligns well with health topics, but can be taught in any class that is taken by all students, including advisory, social studies, English language arts, science, math, etc. The implementation area is determined by each school/district.
About the Grants
CU Boulder was accepting grant applications September 12 – December 5, 2023 from schools, districts, or educational agencies in the following states to implement the Botvin LifeSkills Training High School Program: AL, AZ, CO, GA, IL, KY, LA, MI, NJ, NM, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV. There is still additional funding available, so the application deadline has been extended to February 13, 2024. If you were not able to make the application deadline in December, this is another opportunity!
This High School grant provides funding for teacher training, teacher stipends or substitute-teacher reimbursement for trainings, teacher manuals, and consumable student workbooks as well as program sustainability planning and attendance at a Training of Trainers workshop. CU monitors program fidelity to ensure schools implement the program as designed, thereby increasing positive outcomes for students and schools.
Program Information
Please see the Program Information page for documents describing both LST Programs, including lesson topics, sample lessons, evaluation studies, placement examples, and curriculum alignments including Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies.
Typically, there is enough funding to support all schools that apply for grants as long as they meet implementation fidelity requirements.
High School Grant
Grant Information
- Grant Announcement: One-page summary of LST High School grant opportunity. Two-minute video explaining grant.
- Role-Specific Fact Sheets: Information about their role in the grant for Teachers, Site Coordinators, and Classroom Observers.
Grant Application Files
Along with completing an online application, a superintendent letter is required, and each school must submit a signed principal letter as well as an LST Participating Schools Form.
- Application: Document containing instructions, application link, and all questions included on the application. Applications must be submitted online.
- Application Letters: Letters to be signed by the superintendent as well as the principal(s) of each participating school.
- Participating Schools Form: One form is to be completed by each participating school. These can be completed online (last part of online application) for up to 10 schools, or the form can be downloaded here and emailed.
Grant application deadline has been extended to February 13, 2024.
Email lstgrant@colorado.edu with questions.
Middle School Grant
Grant Information
- Grant Announcement: One-page summary of LST Middle School grant opportunity.
- Role-Specific Fact Sheets: Information about their role in the grant for Teachers, Site Coordinators, and Classroom Observers.
Grant Application Files
Along with completing an online application, a superintendent letter is required, and each school must submit a signed principal letter as well as an LST Participating Schools Form.- Application: Document containing instructions, application link, and all questions included on the application. Applications must be submitted online.
- Application Letters: Letters to be signed by the superintendent as well as the principal(s) of each participating school.
- Participating Schools Form: One form is to be completed by each participating school. These can be completed online (last part of online application) for up to 10 schools, or the form can be downloaded and emailed.
Acknowledgements for Support and Evaluations
Altria Client Services began providing funding in 2009 for University of Colorado (CU) Boulder to support implementation of the Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School program with fidelity. Funding was expanded in 2020 to support the LifeSkills Training High School program as well.
In addition, CU Boulder began an outcome evaluation study of the Botvin LifeSkills Training High School program starting fall 2021. Funding for this initiative is provided by Altria Client Services (program implementation) and by Arnold Ventures (program evaluation).