The Capturing Kids’ Hearts Teen Leadership Program, a curriculum-based intervention for middle and high school youth, is designed to improve students’ emotional well-being and social functioning, including improving communication with parents, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, improving self-efficacy, and minimizing problem behaviors.
The Capturing Kids’ Hearts Teen Leadership Program curriculum, which is based on social-cognitive learning theory, is made up of 50 lessons and includes role-play, group activities, presentations, and projects. Teachers present the lessons to students during 50- to 90-minute school health education classes over a period of one semester or an entire school year. The lessons help students to strengthen their school connectedness by enhancing protective factors and decreasing risk factors. Students also learn how to develop healthy relationships, handle peer pressure, build public speaking skills, make responsible decisions, resolve conflicts, and develop a sense of personal responsibility.