Section 1 - A CALL TO ACTION TO
STRENGTHEN
OUR
COMMUNITY
Giving our kids
what they need to succeed is a community effort. Everyone can participate and should participate in the
development of assets in our young people.
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Developmental Assets represent everyday wisdom about
positive experiences and characteristics for young people. They are in fact what we have always known
and as a society valued. Developmental assets are building blocks all young
people need to grow up competent, caring, and healthy. When present these assets nurture the
positive behaviors valued by society and protect young people from
risk-taking behaviors. Developmental
assets are dramtically related to the choices young people make. The more assets young people have, the
more likely they are to engage in positive, pro-social behavior and the less
likely they are to engage in problem behavior.
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The Search Institute started
studying developmental assets in communities in 1989, using a survey called
Profiles of Student Life: Atitudes
and Behaviors. The findings are based
on study of hundreds of thousands of youth in town and cities across the
United States. The research shows
that these assets are powerful influences on adolescent behavior and provide
the resiliancy that youth need to succeed.
This power is evident across all cultural and social economic groups
and age groups. Simply stated we all benefit from these assets.
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Section 2 The Assets
EXTERNAL ASSETS:
Support:
1. Family support - Family life provides high levels of love and
support.
2. Positive family communication - Young person and her/his parent(s)
communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and
counsel from parent(s)
3. Other adult relationships - Young person receives support from
three or more non-parent adults.
4. Caring Neighborhood- Young person experiences caring neighbors.
5. Caring school climate - School provides a caring, encouraging
environment.
6. Parent involvement in schooling - Parent(s) are actively involved
in helping young person succeed in school.
Empowerment:
7. Community values youth - Young person perceives that adults in the
community value youth.
8. Youth as resources - Young people are given useful roles in the
community.
9. Service to others - Young person serves in the community one hour
or more per week.
10. Safety - Young person feels safe at home, at school and in the
neighborhood.
Boundaries & Expectations:
11. Family boundaries - Family has clear rules and consequences and
monitors young person's whereabouts.
12. School boundaries - School provides clear rules and consequences.
13. Neighborhood boundaries - Neighbors take responsibility for
monitoring and reporting young people's behavior.
14. Adult role models - Parent(s) and other adults model positive,
responsible behavior.
15. Positive peer influence - Young person's best friends model
positive behavior.
16. High expectations - Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the
young person to de well.
Constructive Use of Time:
17. Creative activities - Young person spends three or more hours per
week in lessons or practice music, theater or other arts.
18. Youth Programs - Young person spends three or more hours per week
in sports, clubs or organizations at school and/or in the community.
19. Religious Community - Young person spends one or more hours per
week in activities in a religious institution.
20. Time at home - Young person is out with friends "with nothing
special to do" two or fewer nights per week.
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INTERNAL ASSETS:
Commitment To Learning:
21. Achievement motivation - Young person is motivated to do well in
school.
22. School engagement - Young person is actively engaged in learning.
23. Homework - Young person reports doing at least one hour of
homework every school day.
24. Bonding to school - Young person cares about her or his school.
25. Reading for pleasure - Young person reads for pleasure three or
more hours per week.
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Positive Values:
26. Caring - Young person places high value on helping other people.
27. Equality and social justice - Young person places high value on
promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
28. Integrity - Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her
or his beliefs.
29. Honesty - Young person "tells the truth even when it is not
easy".
30. Responsibility - Young person accepts and takes responsibility.
31. Restraint - Young person believes it is important not to be
sexually active or use alcohol or other drugs.
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Social Competencies:
32. Planning and decision making- Young person knows how to plan ahead
and make choices.
33. Interpersonal competence - Young person has empathy, sensitivity,
and friendship skills.
34. Cultural competence - Young person has knowledge of and comfort
with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
35. Resistance skills - Young person can resist negative peer pressure
and dangerous situations.
36. Peaceful conflict resolution - Young person seeks to resolve
conflict nonviolently.
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Positive Identity:
37. Personal Power - Young person feels he or she has control over
"things that happen to me".
38. Self-esteem - Young person reports having high self-esteem.
39. Sense of purpose - Young person reports that "my life has a
purpose".
40. Positive view of personal future - Young person is optimistic
about his or her personal future.
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Section 3 Conclusion
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy
dog. The quick brown fox jumps over
the lazy dog. The quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog. The quick
brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
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