The Program

Friends for Life is a social skills training program for 7-10 year-olds, aimed at building social and emotional resilience.

Helping children and teenagers cope with feelings of fear, worry and sadness

Developed in Australia and used in schools worldwide, FRIENDS is the only anxiety prevention program acknowledged by the World Health Organisation for its 12 years of comprehensive evaluation and practice.

Anxiety is the most common form of psychological disorder, affecting up to 20% of children and teenagers. If left unattended, anxiety significantly interferes with a child’s development and can cause serious problems in later life, such as social isolation, underachievement and depression.

Particularly for young children, constant worry about relatively normal, everyday activities, such as a school camp, playing with friends or completing homework, as well as worry about overseas events such as SARS, earthquakes and terrorism can significantly detract from a child’s learning. These effects can also extend to a child’s peers or siblings, multiplying the negative effects of anxiety.

FRIENDS is a social skills training program, designed to reach out to these children who do not always attract the help that they need. FRIENDS teaches emotional resilience that will stay with children for life, and teaches practical, useful strategies for coping with stress.

Worldwide, FRIENDS is being used in New Zealand, Canada, The United States, Mexico, South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Finland, Norway, The United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. It is also in the process of being translated into Russian and Arabic. To read how FRIENDS is being used in British Columbia click here.

By the end of 2009, well over 500,000 children will have completed the program worldwide.

Don’t miss this opportunity to benefit from one of the fastest-growing childhood development programs in the world!

FRIENDS is available for both primary and high school students. The programs are well-matched to educational goals and curriculum guidelines, and the program complements and enhances learning in schools.