Life Skills

Education news, analysis, and opinion about non-cognitive skills and soft skills
Hannah Waring, left, a student at Loudoun Valley High School, and Abby McDonough, a student at Liberty University, work in the strawberry stand at Wegmeyer Farms in Hamilton, Va., on May 23, 2017. Waring and McDonough worked at Wegmeyer Farms for the summer. Summer jobs are vanishing as U.S. teens spend more time in school and doing extra curricular activities, and face competition from older workers.
Hannah Waring, left, a student at Loudoun Valley High School, and Abby McDonough, a student at Liberty University, work in the strawberry stand at Wegmeyer Farms in Hamilton, Va., on May 23, 2017. The teen summer employment rate is down this year, but some schools are trying to create opportunities for their students.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Summer Jobs for Teens Are Now Scarce. Some Schools Are Trying to Change That
From on-campus job fairs to partnerships with local programs, these high schools are finding teens summer work.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 3, 2025
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5 min read
Unrecognizable woman using mobile phone while calculating the amount of her bills at home. Focus is on hand and cell phone.
E+/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A 'Adulting 101': The High School Class Teaching Real-Life Skills
Beyond core academics, what skills should high school students master before they graduate?
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 17, 2025
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6 min read
Students from the Chess Club rearrange pieces on the board as they play friendly games against each other at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Mich., on April 24, 2023.
Students from the Chess Club rearrange pieces on the board as they play friendly games against each other at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Mich., on April 24, 2023. Chess can teach students important skills used in academia, experts said.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Teaching How Playing Chess Can Boost Academic Learning
Experts argue that by playing chess, students can learn valuable skills that can benefit them in the classroom.
Jennifer Vilcarino, June 10, 2025
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3 min read
Word bubbles of different sizes and abstract content arranged in a grid like pattern.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
College & Workforce Readiness Colleges Will Give a Leg Up to Students Who Demonstrate Civility
A new program allows students to build a "civility transcript" for college through peer debates.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 13, 2025
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5 min read
AI Artificial Intelligence Blueprint 3D Cube Grid Modern Background Design
DigitalVision Vectors
Mathematics Q&A Want to Prepare Students for Navigating an AI-Driven World? Start in Math Class
Educators can leverage math class to teach students the problem-solving and interpersonal skills they will need.
Arianna Prothero, May 5, 2025
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4 min read
Illustration of a young man balancing and walking on pencil tips that look like poles and dressed in a graduation cap and gown.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness The Skill Students Need Most to Succeed in Future Jobs
Hint: It’s not necessarily factoring polynomials.
Arianna Prothero, April 21, 2025
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4 min read
Monica Wardlow, from left, with Citizens First Bank, works with Warren East Middle School seventh graders Autumn Simmons and Aaleah Richie Wednesday, March 13, 2019, during Junior Achievement's JA Girl$ financially literacy program at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green, Ky. The JA Girl$ program is a gender-specific initiative designed to teach girls and young women about financial literacy, career preparation, and entrepreneurship.
Monica Wardlow, from left, with Citizens First Bank, works with Warren East Middle School 7th graders Autumn Simmons and Aaleah Richie Wednesday, March 13, 2019, during Junior Achievement's JA Girl$ financial literacy program at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green, Ky. Junior Achievement aims to bring real-world experiences into the classroom.
Bac Totrong/Daily News via AP
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A How One Educator Is Tackling the Question, 'Why Do I Have to Learn This?'
Monica Goldson, a long-time educator, is working to link learning to real-world experiences with Junior Achievement.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 4, 2025
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6 min read
Students from Suelllen Vesperman’s first grade class dance to the Macarena as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Students from Suelllen Vesperman’s first grade class dance to the Macarena as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Video What’s Behind the Political Criticisms of Social-Emotional Learning?
The Trump administration says SEL is being used to veil discrimination. What does that mean for schools?
Jennifer Vilcarino & Jaclyn Borowski, April 1, 2025
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2:02
A high school student introduces herself to her classmates and guests in an AP research class.
A high school student introduces herself to her classmates and guests in an AP research class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Student Well-Being & Movement Video The First Rule of SEL for Older Students? Don’t Be Boring
Middle and high schoolers are a much tougher audience for social-emotional-learning lessons.
Alyson Klein, March 28, 2025
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2 min read
Students at Skyline High School work together during an after-school tutoring club.
Students at Skyline High School work together during an after-school tutoring club.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Student Well-Being & Movement Video The Skills Employers Want Most in the AI Age All Have Something in Common
Explaining how SEL can help students prepare for the working world may help more families get behind it, educators say.
Alyson Klein, March 28, 2025
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2 min read
David Schuler, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, speaks at the organization's National Conference on Education on March 6, 2025, in New Orleans.
David Schuler, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, speaks at the organization's National Conference on Education on March 6, 2025, in New Orleans.
Sandy Huffaker/AASA
School & District Management Q&A Schools Need to Teach the ‘New Basics’ to Prepare Kids for Careers, Leaders Say
A school superintendents group's "Public Education Promise" focuses on preparing students for a changing workforce.
Evie Blad, March 10, 2025
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6 min read
Illustration of young school kids with backpacks climbing up and peaking out of the sides of a large question mark in the ground.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement From Our Research Center Are Today's Students Less Independent? Depends on Who You Ask
Most teachers say students' declining ability to direct their own learning and advocate for themselves hurts academic achievement.
Arianna Prothero, February 24, 2025
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3 min read
A student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy on Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif.
A student uses a cellphone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Ed-Tech Policy More States Are Moving to Ban Cellphones at School. Should They?
While cellphone bans are popular with many educators, some researchers say there's not much evidence yet that these policies work.
Lauraine Langreo & Arianna Prothero, February 6, 2025
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8 min read
Diverse male and female characters are assembling cogwheels together at work. Concept of soft skills, work operations, and teamwork productivity. Business workflow as cogwheel mechanism.
Rudzhan Nagiev/iStock
College & Workforce Readiness The SEL Skills Google, Microsoft, and Other Top Companies Want Schools to Teach
Senior executives from U.S. companies put a high priority on so-called "soft skills."
Mark Lieberman, January 13, 2025
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8 min read
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