Life skills training involves the formal teaching of skills essential for surviving, living with others, and succeeding in a complex society. The core elements of life skills training are generic social competence training, involving communication skills, self-regulation, prosocial behaviors, problemsolving, and decisionmaking; health promotion; and problem prevention. This report analyzes elements of established life skills training programs with a record of effectiveness, formulating principles for evaluation of implementation and outcomes, examining the opportunities for improvement of current models, and exploring the potential for disseminating effective intervention to meet the needs of neglected sectors of the population. Suggestions are offered for the content and design of new programs. 60-item bibliography