Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lions Quest?
Lions Quest is a comprehensive youth service initiative of Lions International/Lions Clubs International Foundation that teaches youth life skills. Lions Quest provides services and resources to educators and other adults who work with youth, ages 5-19. The goal is to help build responsible and resilient youth- providing them with the tools to face and overcome life’s difficulties and resist the lure of negative behaviors.”
Who does Lions Quest serve?
Lions Quest programs have reached more than 11 million young people in more than two-dozen countries worldwide, primarily through school-based programs. To date, more than 330,00 educators and other adults have been trained to implement the programs in school and community settings, and program materials have been published in 20 languages.
What are the current Lions Quest programs?
Skills for Growing: The elementary school component of Lions Quest programs reinforces character education, life skills, prevention, and service learning for personal school success, and includes six topics with weekly skill-building lessons that include multidisciplinary activities for full-year implementation. The Skills for Growing program was developed for classroom and/or school-wide implementation, with active participation of students, educators, families, and community members.
Skills for Adolescence: The middle school component of Lions Quest programs was designed specifically for the developmental needs of young adolescents, and provides comprehensive life skills and drug prevention curriculum, reinforcing communication skills, problem solving, goal setting, and resisting the use of alcohol and other drugs. The Skills for Adolescence program was developed for classroom and/or school-wide implementation, with active participation of students, educators, families, and community members.
Skills for Action: The high school component of Lions Quest programs integrates character and life skills education, positive prevention, and service-learning into a unique learning experience in citizenship, civic responsibility, and career preparation for high school youth. This program includes over 100 life skills lessons that can be taught in four-year to one-semester program options, or as a nine-week mini-course. Skills for Action can be taught as a separate class or integrated into an existing course. The Skills for Action program was developed for classroom and/or school-wide implementation, with active participation of students, educators, families, and community members.
How are Lions Quest programs developed?
Developed through a rigorous process, Lions Quest curricula represents some of the most academically and pedagogically sound programs available. This process incorporates relevant research in the fields of education, child development, and drug prevention; focus groups are held, involving educators, parents and community leaders who represent a diverse demographic and socioeconomic mix; and expert consultants in the youth development, education, prevention, and service learning fields, write the program content, which are reviewed regularly.
How do Lions Quest programs support the academic achievement of students?
All Lions Quest programs are flexible, designed either to be taught as a separate course or to be incorporated into traditional subjects. Since listening and communication skills are a part of each lesson, there is evidence of significant reading score improvements in students participating in a Lions Quest program. Students involved in a Lions Quest program often have better attendance, improved peer relations, and better classroom behavior than peers not participating in a Lions Quest program, because the programs support support the development of higher-order thinking skills such as analyzing, hypothesizing, problem-solving and cooperative learning. Students who work cooperatively approach learning with greater motivation, which has been found to be important for long-term academic achievement. Lions Quest also offers a 20-minute online course for students called “Reducing Test Anxiety,” which teaches stress management tools, increasing relaxation and focus while testing. Students learn 4 tools that they can use to lower their anxiety and increase their focus when testing. Far beyond improving test results, this program gives kids life skills that they can use to face the changes and challenges of the future.
What do evaluation studies say about Lions Quest programs?
Program evaluation and applied research are integral components of Lions Quest programs, which is why many studies have been conducted over the past 20 years by the program developer, school districts, universities, and independent research firms. Results of the studies include improved achievement test scores; change in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding substance abuse and violence; lower rates of disciplinary problems; lower risk of dropping out of school; as well as decreased use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
What is the role of teachers in Lions Quest programs?
The role of the educator is that of planner, initiator, instructor, guide, facilitator, and evaluator. The teaching strategies in the classroom are specifically designed to address a variety of learning styles—auditory, visual, and kinesthetic--- and to help families and schools best promote every child’s success.
Prior to teaching core Lions Quest life skills programs (Skills for Growing, Skills for Adolescence, Skills for Action), educators must attend an introductory workshop to be certified as a Lions Quest instructor. In some states, educators are eligible for continuing education credits when they are certified as a Lions Quest instructor.
What is the role of parents in Lions Quest programs?
One of the most important goals of Lions Quest programs is to promote parental involvement. A key program principle is that parents are the first and primary teachers of their children; therefore materials and training serve as a resource to teachers in supporting parents and the traditional values of home.
Materials produced specifically for parents are an integral part of the programs. Parents are encouraged to serve on implementation and advisory teams, school climate committees, as classroom helpers, and as adult leaders for service learning projects.
What is the role of the community in Lions Quest programs?
Experts in youth development recognize the importance of a community-wide approach and strong school-community partnerships and Lions Quest programs promote and support community involvement in several ways: community volunteers are encouraged to attend the workshops, participate on school climate committees and advisory teams, join in or lead service projects and assist with fundraising to support the program. Members of local Lions clubs, parent associations, and other local organizations can play a vital role in informing others about the programs, often resulting in groups working together to support each other, providing healthy, positive activities for the community’s young people.
The service learning component helps young people learn about giving back to the community, taking responsibility, giving time and talents to help others, and expressing compassion and caring in practical, concrete ways.
How do Lions Quest programs comply with federal legislation and guidelines pertaining to drug-free schools?
Lions Quest programs offer a comprehensive approach, in contrast to programs that focus only on teaching information about drugs or that offer only quick sessions on resisting peer pressure, and they convey a strong “no-use” message to students.
Our programs comply directly with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, which requires that schools implement prevention programs that are “age-appropriate,” “developmentally-based,” and “convey to students that the use of illicit drugs and the unlawful possession and use of alcohol is wrong and harmful.” In fact, Lions Quest programs meet all 10 guidelines for effective prevention programs issued by the U.S. Department of Education.
The following premises about effective drug education have been incorporated into Lions Quest programs:
- Parent and family involvement are central to effective prevention programming. All Lions Quest programs provide opportunities for parents to learn about the health hazards of drug use and ways in which they can reinforce a “no-use” message with their children.
- Effective prevention programming takes time and must be delivered consistently throughout the child’s development. Lions Quest provides a K-12 continuum of programs.
- Good prevention programs don’t just help children say “No,” they give them something to say “Yes” to. Lions Quest programs focus on healthy living, effective decision-making, and involvement in service to the community.