SELFIE
SELFIE Programme
Social, Emotional, Learning, Financial Literacy, Industry, Ethics & Employability: one integrated framework that supplements school with the skills young people need for life.
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SELFIE Programme:
Supplementing Education for Well-being and Growth
SELFIE (Social, Emotional, Learning, Financial literacy, Industry, Ethics & Employability) is Learn for Life Lanka’s signature life-skills programme, designed to equip Sri Lankan adolescents with the emotional resilience, practical knowledge and workplace readiness they need to thrive at school, at work, and in life. Our integrated approach blends Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) with a practical FIE track — Financial Literacy, Industry Awareness, Ethics and Employability — so young people gain both the inner skills and real-world know-how to make confident choices for their future.
Why SELFIE matters
Young people in Sri Lanka face rising mental-health challenges and gaps between schooling and real-world opportunities. Recent national and survey data show worrying trends in adolescent well-being — from loneliness and anxiety to low physical activity and familial disconnect — which negatively affect learning, behaviour and long-term prospects. SELFIE is designed to directly address these issues by teaching resilience, emotional regulation, healthy relationships, and core financial and workplace skills that strengthen both personal outcomes and community wellbeing.
What SELFIE teaches, the framework
SELFIE brings together two complementary tracks:
SEL (Social • Emotional • Learning)
- Growth Mindset — Learn to view setbacks as opportunities for growth.
- Learning How to Learn — Practical metacognitive strategies to become independent, goal-driven learners.
- Gratitude — Daily practices that boost well-being and optimistic outlooks.
- Positive Communication — Active listening and respectful dialogue to build inclusive classroom cultures.
- Positive Relationships — Empathy, boundaries and meaningful peer connections.
- Meaning & Purpose — Values and strengths-based reflection to find direction.
- Leading Without a Title — Everyday leadership through initiative and example.
- Emotional Regulation — Self-awareness and calming tools to manage emotions with confidence.
FIE (Financial Literacy • Industry • Ethics & Employability)
- Financial Literacy — Budgeting, saving, credit basics and planning for the future.
- Industry — Exposure to career paths, workplace expectations and real-world connections.
- Ethics & Employability — Professional behaviour, ethical decision-making and employability skills that prepare students for the workplace.
Programme delivery & structure
- Modality: Weekly in-school sessions (30 hours total) delivered by trained facilitators.
- Duration: Multi-year rollout with cohorts and follow-up coaching to ensure continuity.
- Trainers: A skilled team of trainers with backgrounds in education, psychology and social work; all complete a 30-hour Trainer-of-Trainers course and receive ongoing coaching and evaluation.
Impact & Reach
Since launching in 2022, the programme expanded from an initial SEL pilot to the broader SELFIE model (SEL + FIE). Between 2024–2025 SELFIE grew to include ten active partner schools across Colombo, introduced multiple new cohorts, and celebrated a milestone graduation ceremony in May 2025 that showcased student projects and achievements. These expansions reflect increasing school partnerships and growing demand for skills that supplement formal curricula.
Why SELFIE matters
Young people in Sri Lanka face rising mental-health challenges and gaps between schooling and real-world opportunities. Recent national and survey data show worrying trends in adolescent well-being — from loneliness and anxiety to low physical activity and familial disconnect — which negatively affect learning, behaviour and long-term prospects. SELFIE is designed to directly address these issues by teaching resilience, emotional regulation, healthy relationships, and core financial and workplace skills that strengthen both personal outcomes and community wellbeing.
Context
Why SELFIE in Sri Lanka
~60%
of students drop out at age 17–18
UNICEF
1 in 4
of those students go on to seek vocational education
UNICEF
20%
of Sri Lanka's youth are unemployed
STATISTA
Sri Lanka struggles with a skewed education system, with most of the government's education budget focused on urban schools. Approximately 60% of the country's students drop out at age 17-18, and only a quarter of these students seek vocational education (UNICEF). Not surprisingly, 20% of Sri Lanka's youth are unemployed (www.statista.com).
In such an environment, SEL can prove useful, as numerous studies have demonstrated how SEL capabilities can improve student well-being, social behaviour, and academic achievement. In addition, the FIE track (Financial Literacy, Industry Awareness, Ethics, and Employability) equips students with essential skills to make informed financial decisions and prepares them for career paths, directly addressing the challenges of youth unemployment.
SEL adoption in schools has shown to have a positive benefit on both teachers and students. Sri Lanka's teachers, as in most other countries, struggle to control classes and maintain discipline while trying to complete large syllabuses. In order to do so, they have traditionally, and most often reluctantly, resorted to corporal punishment. In February 2021, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, condemned the use of corporal punishment in schools. By encouraging SEL in their classrooms, teachers are able to promote acceptable behaviour through positive reinforcement as opposed to fear and cruelty.
February 2021
The Supreme Court condemned the use of corporal punishment in schools.
SEL gives teachers a positive alternative: reinforcement over fear.
Teachers & Students
Highlights & Events
- 2024–2025 expansion: New partner schools added across Colombo, with dedicated cohorts introduced in six new schools during 2024 and four more schools joining in 2025.
- Graduation Ceremony 2025: Held at the Elphinstone Theatre on 8 May 2025 — student showcases, awards and reflections from trainers and school leaders.
- Debate & public-speaking initiatives: Ongoing debate programmes (Learn for Life Lanka Debate Challenge and Debate Mate partnership) that strengthen critical thinking and communication skills across participating schools.
How Schools Can Partner
We partner with schools and zonal education offices to deliver SELFIE as an in-school programme that complements the national curriculum. Partnerships typically include:
- Needs assessment and programme planning
- Weekly session delivery (30-hour course)
- Teacher training and coaching
- End-of-cohort celebration and evaluation
If your school or organisation is interested in partnering, please contact our programme team to discuss timelines and implementation.
Join Us
Want to become a SELFIE Trainer?
Our trainers come from backgrounds in education, psychology and social work. Every trainer completes a 30-hour Training of Trainers programme, with ongoing coaching and support.
Students at work