Footprints for Life™ is a research-based primary prevention program that builds assets and teaches important life skills to students in grades two and three. Through the use of puppets and stories that feature “real life” situations experienced by a children’s soccer team.

 The program offers many opportunities for students to practice the new skills they have learned in a fun and non-threatening way.

The goal of Footprints for Life is to help young children build a strong foundation of life skills rooted in key social competencies. The social competencies that Footprints addresses are planning and decision-making practice, interpersonal skills, cultural competence, peer pressure, and peaceful conflict resolution — assets identified as promoting positive attitudes and behaviors.

Wellspring Center for Prevention hired the Center for Children and Families (CCF), a research center affiliated with the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, to analyze evaluation data collected for the project.  The goals of the evaluation included analysis of teacher responses for satisfaction with the program and observed child outcomes. 

The evaluation identified many positive findings regarding the Footprints for Life TM program.  Teachers reported high levels of satisfaction with the program and indicated that they witnessed students' using the skills taught by the Footprints curriculum. In particular, teachers reported that the Footprints program facilitated enthusiastic learning by youth participants and featured grade- and age-appropriate information.  In addition, teachers reported using lessons from the Footprints curriculum to reinforce concepts in the classroom on a regular basis.

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