The smart life

The Smart Life is an approach conceptualized from a frame of prevention, focused on youth, and aimed toward fostering independent and productive life styles. Currently, the focal concern is on African American youths, ages 12 through 18, who reside in rural areas of North Central Florida. Implemented through seminars, the Smart Life approach is grounded in theory and practice. It is built on grass roots efforts directed toward enlightening youths about the ways to improve their future through formulating goal-directed plans, and awakening their abilities to realize healthy and productive lives. The theoretical framework encompasses both Erik Erikson's psychoanalytic theory of identity development and the life cycle, as it accentuates the psychosocial nature of identify formation during adolescence, and Albert Bandura's social learning theoretical formulations specific to self-efficacy in terms of perceived self-competence.The seminars, held in various community-based settings, cover several areas. The issue to identity is always addressed. Discussions include: the meaning of being an African American, information on the history and global locations of people of African descent, and encouragement to make attachments. The other 4 critical areas that The Smart Life seminars focus on include the prevention of: crime and violence, early sexual experiences and pregnancy, alcohol and drug use and abuse, and school failure.