This School Is Teaching Teen Girls Important Life Skills Like Changing Tires and Other Car Maintenance

Imagine finding yourself stranded on a quiet road, your car stalled and your phone without signal, with no one around to help. It is in these moments that true self-reliance is revealed, not in theory but in action.

Life has a way of presenting challenges without warning. Yet traditional education often overlooks the essential skills needed to navigate them. While academic success is valuable, it is the practical know-how such as responding when plans fall apart, that builds the kind of quiet confidence we carry into adulthood.

Building Real Confidence, One Skill at a Time

Breaking down on an empty road might feel overwhelming to someone who has never learned basic car care. But for those who know how to check the oil, refill coolant, or change a flat tire, it becomes a manageable moment—not a crisis. What separates the two isn’t chance. It’s preparation.

This kind of quiet capability was exactly what a group of Year 11 girls in Sydney recently embraced. Instead of spending the day in a typical classroom, they stepped into the real world of hands-on learning. Led by Galmatic, a woman-run organization that has empowered over 100,000 teenagers across Australia, the students were introduced to the basics of car maintenance and roadside safety.

Image from Stella Maris College, Manly on Facebook

These lessons were about more than spark plugs and tire pressure. They were about claiming independence. Each small task, from checking fluid levels to tightening a bolt, was a reminder that self-reliance is something we build—not something we wait for. Sometimes, all it takes is one real-world experience to shift fear into confidence and remind young people they are more capable than they think.

Why Practical Skills Matter More Than We Think

At Stella Maris College in Sydney, students recently stepped outside the traditional classroom to learn something often left out of the curriculum. In partnership with Galmatic, an all-female automotive education group, Year 11 girls spent a day learning how to care for their cars and manage real-life challenges behind the wheel.

Grouped in small teams, the students worked through everyday scenarios that many new drivers face but rarely feel prepared for. They learned how to check fluid levels, change a tire, read tire pressure, and respond safely after a roadside breakdown or minor collision. These were not just mechanical exercises. They were lessons in staying calm, making smart decisions, and gaining control in unfamiliar situations.

Eleni Mitakos, founder of Galmatic, believes that equipping teens with these skills helps prevent small problems from becoming major ones. Her team reaches over 100,000 teens each year, teaching them to pay attention, respond with care, and develop confidence not only in their driving but in themselves.

The workshop was part of the school’s Essential Life Skills initiative, a program designed to teach self-reliance alongside academics. For both parents and educators, it was a clear success. Students walked away more capable, more aware, and more prepared for the kind of moments that demand quick thinking and quiet strength.

This wasn’t just about cars. It was about giving young women a sense of control in situations where they might otherwise feel helpless and reminding them that independence starts with knowing what to do when no one else is there to guide you.

The Community Responds: Real Skills, Real Impact

When Stella Maris College shared the car maintenance workshop online, the response from the community was swift and enthusiastic. Across generations, people praised the school’s commitment to teaching skills that go beyond the classroom and into everyday life.

Parents in particular saw the workshop as more than just a lesson in car care. Kristy Smith celebrated it as “the type of education our kids need in every school,” while Vicky Jones wished she could have taken part herself, applauding Stella for “…teaching our girls how to be strong & independent.” Kathryn Bran, both an alumna and a parent of a current student, called it a “really worthwhile session” and shared that it even sparked a family discussion at dinner.

Former students echoed the same excitement. Patricia Brizzi urged that “all high school, especially girl school should do this and learn from this,” while Peta Brown reflected on her own experience studying automotive electronics, noting how valuable a hands-on workshop like this is for today’s students.

Others, like Nina Gordon, called the initiative “really smart” and said it “should be taught everywhere.” Maureen Murphy, reflecting on how much education has evolved, remarked, “School was never like this back in the 50’s.” One commenter even joked, “Why weren’t we taught this!!” with plenty of laughter and agreement in the replies.

The online feedback wasn’t just positive—it was passionate. These weren’t casual compliments. They were reflections of a deeper wish: that all young people, especially girls, have the chance to grow confident and capable by learning how to manage the challenges life throws at them.

The Case for Making Life Skills Part of Every Curriculum

Achieving academic honors may feel like the ultimate mark of success, but those accolades can fall short when real-world challenges arise. Many students leave school equipped to pass exams, yet feel unprepared when faced with practical responsibilities like changing a tire, budgeting money, or making sound decisions in unfamiliar situations.

This disconnect is more common than we might think. Recent data shows that nearly one in three high school graduates report feeling ill-equipped for life after school, especially when it comes to managing finances, handling paperwork, or responding to unexpected problems. These are not just logistical gaps. They are emotional ones too.

Life skills education fills this void by doing more than teaching students how to complete a task. It strengthens personal resilience, nurtures emotional intelligence, and builds confidence from the inside out. In one study from India, adolescents who took part in a life skills program showed dramatic improvements including a 66.6 percent rise in school attendance, an increase in self-belief, and more equitable gender attitudes. These outcomes suggest that real-world learning creates changes that ripple far beyond the classroom.

The World Health Organization identifies core life skills as problem solving, decision making, communication, empathy, and emotional regulation. These are the very tools that allow us to adapt when things do not go as planned. Employers are also sounding the alarm. Surveys across the United States and United Kingdom reveal that many young professionals enter the workforce lacking adaptability, teamwork, and real-world problem solving—qualities just as critical as technical knowledge.

Research from the University of Sydney and IZA supports this further. Adolescence, they explain, is a key time to build traits like grit, self-control, and emotional resilience. Programs that introduce these skills early not only help students navigate school but set them up for long-term success in both personal and professional life.

Integrating life skills into school curricula is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It bridges the space between academic performance and personal capability, giving young people the tools to meet life with confidence, responsibility, and clarity.

Simple Ways to Build Everyday Confidence

You do not need a formal workshop to start developing real-life skills. These small but meaningful steps can help anyone feel more prepared, capable, and confident in daily situations.

1. Learn one new skill each month
Start with something useful and manageable, such as checking your car’s oil, reading a utility bill, sewing a button, or creating a simple budget. Consistent effort leads to lasting confidence.

2. Watch and try, not just read
Rather than only reading instructions, look for a short video tutorial and follow along. Seeing the process in action and practicing it yourself makes learning easier and more memorable.

3. Ask someone to guide you
If you know a friend or family member who is comfortable with a skill you want to learn, ask them to show you how it is done. Most people are glad to share their knowledge and experience.

4. Practice staying calm when things go wrong
Whether it is a flat tire, a power outage, or a missed appointment, use the moment to walk through the next steps slowly and clearly. This kind of mindset builds long-term resilience.

5. Make learning a shared experience
Get the family involved. Teach your children how to reset the Wi-Fi, check tire pressure, or put together an emergency kit. These shared moments build both skill and connection.

What Prepared Feels Like

The car maintenance workshop gave students the chance to practice staying calm in unfamiliar situations. For many, this was the first time they had been shown how to take control when something goes wrong.

Through hands-on guidance, they learned to check fluids, change tires, and respond to common car troubles. But more importantly, they began to trust their ability to handle real-life problems. What once felt intimidating became clear and manageable.