The high school prom, an American institution, has now been a mainstay in UK culture for over 25 years. A prom heralds the end of exams and the end of school altogether – and the beginning of a new chapter of life. It’s an opportunity for teens to dress up in glamorous dresses and smart tuxedos, and maybe arrive in style in the back of a limo.
It’s an adolescent ritual that might be seen as a one-off, frivolous event. But a prom is much more important than that.
The research for our forthcoming book chapter has shown that organising and attending proms build teenagers’ leadership skills, creativity, practical and life skills, as well as social and emotional skills. It also boosts positive emotions, such as enthusiasm and pride: something teenagers emerging from a gruelling summer of exams need.
For teens involved in organising the event, there is scope to develop leadership skills. Making group decisions about where to hold the event and how to fund it requires bargaining with other organising committee members, as well as reasoning with fellow students and navigating school rules.
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Trying to please everyone, including teachers, parents and host venues can be a steep learning curve. And dealing with disappointment when compromise is required is an important life skill.
For teenagers with limited involvement in organising the event, attending prom can still help boost their learning. Having a party to look forward to can increase teens’ diligence and commitment to their schoolwork as they revise for their exams. Some schools capitalise on this by offering “passports” to prom. This scheme could involve students earning a free ticket to prom by attending a set number of revision classes.
Emerging adult selves
Prom is more than an opportunity for dressing up. Teenagers can also use this event to present a new or altered self, using a coming-of-age celebration as a platform to convey who they are or who they want to be. In some cases, this can involve young people making their own clothing and accessories. Such types of activity afford practical and life skills.
And any prom look requires organisation: budgeting, researching what’s available. Finances, limited or otherwise, may constrain or restrict choice and result in problem solving or trade-offs. As the high school prom occurs within a particular time frame, time management and the (online) ordering of products can contribute – or not – to the success of a desired prom outfit.
Friends are keen to share their prom experience with others, but attending the high school prom can be prohibitively expensive. Our research has shown that in these situations, teens can develop their social and emotional skills as well as effectively communicating and negotiating with school staff in more equal, adult ways than they may have before.
For example, some teens in our research secured their friend’s attendance at prom by buying her a dress for her birthday and asking their teacher if she could have her prom ticket for free.
There remains opportunity to use the high school prom as means to develop a wider range of diverse skills. Equality, diversity and inclusion could be better embedded in prom activities to make them accessible to all, and teenagers can be part of this. To ensure widening participation, creating high school proms that reflect a range of cultures and identities could further enhance learning opportunities for those taking part.
High school proms involve not only teenagers but also their families, friends and the wider community. Schools especially have an important role to play in this coming-of-age celebration, often going further than simply supporting its organisation. Teachers, for example, can help facilitate the supply of dresses and other resources to guarantee inclusion at this end of school celebration, ensuring that those who want to attend this event can do so.
Our research shows that teenagers actively participate in a learning journey while preparing for this ritual and develop life skills that they can build on in work, further education and volunteering. A high school prom is more than just one night to remember.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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