Life Skills for Starters
Penny Kaplan, Founder
Classroom Life Skills That Build Stronger Youth.
Life Skills for Starters empowers children with the confidence, independence, and practical skills they need to succeed in everyday life. Through creative, interactive lessons and hands-on activities, the program encourages problem-solving, communication, leadership, and personal growth. Our mission is to inspire young people to believe in themselves, make thoughtful decisions, and build a strong foundation for their future.
RECOGNITION & REACH
BAKE BACK AMERICA AWARD
Exact award title and year to be confirmed.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY LEGISLATURE
Official recognition for youth leadership and service.
ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
Artwork presented in a university exhibition setting.
TESTIMONIALS
"Penny Kaplan is an exemplary volunteer who has dedicated herself to enriching the lives of the children at Pleasantville Cottages through her monthly visits over the years. Every program she creates is thoughtfully planned, beautifully organized, and customized to meet the unique needs of our children. Her creativity, attention to detail, and genuine commitment make every visit special. It is truly a pleasure to welcome Penny, and our children always look forward to her return.”
Pleasantville Cottages
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"Penny Kaplan is an extraordinary role model who sets the highest standard for volunteer leadership at our Boys & Girls Club. For the past three years, she has dedicated herself to teaching life skills every week throughout the school year, inspiring our children with confidence, independence, and a belief in themselves. Her compassion, commitment, and maturity extend far beyond her years, and the impact she has made is greater than we could have ever imagined. We are truly fortunate to have Penny as part of our Boys & Girls Club family.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Mt. Vernon
IN THE NEWS
CLASSROOM LIFE SKILLS THAT BUILD STRONGER YOUTH
WHERE THE PROGRAM BEGAN
Life Skills For Starters began at the Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon, offering weekly classes that teach essential life skills through engaging interactive activities. With a curriculum focused on teamwork, leadership, kindness, gratitude, giving back, and time management, the program builds confidence, compassion, and meaningful relationships. Each class empowers children with the tools to grow into stronger, more confident young leaders,
PROGRAM GROWTH
THE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM EXPANDS INTO THE COMMUNITY
01
The Coachman Family Center
Through weekly interactive workshops, Life Skills For Starters teaches children essential life kills, encouraging teamwork, kindness, leadership, and confidence.
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Pleasantville Cottages
Monthly workshops and holiday-themed activities bring children together to develop life skills, build meaningful connections, and experience the importance of giving back.
02
The Westchester Mall
Community events bring together children and families of all ages to create heartfelt cards for children facing cancer, inspiring compassion, creativity, and community involvement.
04
The Learning Express
Engaging local children and families in hands-on kindness activities, encouraging them to create cards, select gifts for children in local communities, and discover the joy of giving back.
FROM LIFE SKILLS TO A WORK OF ART
INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY, ONE CONNECTED COMMUNITY
Four communities coming together to create a vision of the impact that this program has instilled in each youth,
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THE CREATIVE PROCESS
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TURNING EXPERIENCE INTO A RESOURCE
Life Skill 4 Starters Bookstore
After three years of teaching hands-on lessons, Penny transformed her Life Skills 4v Starters curriculum into a published youth workbook bringing confidence, empathy, leadership, teamwork, and every day decision-making beyond the classroom.
Life Skills
PUTTING LIFE SKILLS INTO ACTION
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: CONNECTION, SERVICE & COMMUNITY
Life Skills For Starters extends beyond the classroom, connecting children through meaningful service projects that inspire kindness, empathy, and community involvement. Through initiatives like Packaged With Purpose, the Pen Pal program, and Giving Tuesdays, children turn valuable life lessons into action, discovering the power of giving back and making a difference.
1
From her life skills booklet to community care
Life Skills, Packaged
With Purpose
Life Skills for Starters brings valuable life skills education beyond the traditional classroom and into hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and community centers. By packaging her interactive Life Skills for Starters book with colored pencils and a snack, the program creates fun, ready-to-use learning experiences for children in a variety of settings. Each kit encourages confidence, independence, and essential everyday skills while bringing meaningful learning opportunities to more young people.
2
From her life skills booklet to community care
Pen Pals Across Clubs
The Pen Pal Program connects children at Boys & Girls Clubs and community centers through fun, meaningful exchanges. Participants fill out pen pal forms, share messages, and create small handmade items to send back and forth to one another. Along the way, they build communication skills, form new connections, and experience the excitement of making and receiving something special from a new friend.
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A larger season of service
Giving Tuesdays
Giving Tuesdays is a seven-week empowerment program built around one simple idea: everything you receive is meant to be created for someone else. Each week, participants receive a new set of materials or a project kit to make something meaningful for a friend, family member, teacher, or someone in the community. The program turns kindness into action while building empathy, confidence, leadership, and the understanding that everyone has the power to give back.
TIRNING EXPERIENCE INTO A RESOURCE
YOUR WORD CAN LIFT SOMEONE UP
Share a Word of Encouragement
A single word can help someone feel strong, hopeful, or seen. What word has made a difference to you? Share it here to inspire a positive message in an Art of Empowerment project.
Each contribution begins with one thoughtful word.
Print. Make. Give Back.
Four projects. Four downloadable printables.
01
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Kindness Pages
Click on image to print
02
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Leadership Pages
Click on image to print
03
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Respect Pages
Click on image to print
04
Teamwork Pages
Click on image to print
Penny Kaplan
Founder, Author, Awarded Leader
Penny Kaplan is the founder and youth leader behind Life Skills 4 Starters. Through three years of weekly programming, community expansion, art, and a published workbook, she has created a practical foundation that helps youth understand how empathy, kindness, teamwork, and leadership shape everyday life.
CORE PURPOSE
Helping children move from learning important values to living them every day.