Subject: The Hopeful Message of the 40 Developmental Assets

Everyone has the power to help young people succeed

The secret to helping children and youth grow into happy, healthy, and responsible adults isn’t really a secret at all. Simply make a point to connect with young people: Get to know them, talk to them, understand them, help them, and build relationships with them. As a caring, trusted adult, you’ll be better able to provide the building blocks young people need to succeed and reach their goals. Adult role models, guides, and friends are very important to young people. With your help, young people can begin to understand themselves and the world around them. We all know growing up isn’t always easy. That’s why young people need adults like you in their lives.

Here are the facts

Research from Search Institute identifies 40 Developmental Assets that have a powerful, positive impact on young people. Children and teenagers who have high levels of these assets get involved in fewer risky behaviors and are much more likely to exhibit the positive values, such as leadership, good health, diversity, and success in school. The bad news is most young people don’t have enough assets. About 59 percent of young people, ages 11–18, have 20 or fewer Developmental Assets, according to Search Institute surveys. The good news is we can change this because we all have the power to build assets in young people’s lives.

Understanding Developmental Assets

The eight asset categories Search Institute has found crucial in helping young people grow up healthy include:

• Support: Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate, and accept them.
• Empowerment: Young people need to feel valued and valuable. This happens when youth feel safe and respected.
• Boundaries and Expectations: Young people need clear rules, consistent consequences for breaking rules, and encouragement to do their best.
• Constructive Use of Time: Young people need opportunities—outside of school—to learn and develop new skills and interests with other youth and adults.
• Commitment to Learning: Young people need a sense of the lasting importance of learning and a belief in their own abilities.
• Positive Values: Young people need to develop strong guiding values to help them make healthy life choices.
• Social Competencies: Young people need the skills to interact effectively with others, to make difficult decisions, and to cope with new situations.
• Positive Identity: Young people need to believe in their own self-worth and to feel they have control over the things that happen to them.

Each of these categories involves several specific assets that help young people grow up healthy.

Tips for building assets

In your home and family: Post a list of the 40 Developmental Assets on your refrigerator door. Each day, do at least one thing to build assets for each family member.

In your neighborhood and community: Learn the names of the young people who live around you. Find out what interests them, and ask them about those interests.

In your school or youth program: Plan asset-building activities as part of the curriculum or program. For example, engage young people in service-learning projects, social skills training, or reading for pleasure.

Want to know more about the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit www.search-institute.org/assets.

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Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.

40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS McLean County

2002/2006 (2006 Underlined, Italicized)

Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of development that help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible.

The numbers following each asset represent the percent OF youth in McLean County who have that asset in their lives.

EXTERNAL ASSETS

Support

1.    FAMILY SUPPORT ‑ Family life provides high levels OF love and support. 69%/68%

2.     POSITIVE FAMILY COMMUNICATION ‑ Young person and her or his parents communicate positively and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents. 32%/22%

3.     OTHER ADULT RELATIONSHIPS ‑ Young Person receives support from three or more non‑parent adults. 53%/46%

4.     CARING NEIGHBORHOOD ‑ Young person experiences caring neighbors. 50%/53%

5.     CARING SCHOOL CLIMATE ‑ School provides a caring, encouraging environment. 34%/36%

6.     PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOLING ‑ Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school. 28%/25%

Empowerment

7.     COMMUNITY VALUES YOUTH – Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth. 27%/30%

8.     YOUTH AS RESOURCES ‑Young people are given useful roles in the community. 24%/24%

9.     SERVICE TO OTHERS ‑ Young person serves in the community 1 hour or more per week. 52%/57%

10. SAFETY ‑Young person feels safe at home, school and neighborhood. 65%/58%

Boundaries and Expectations

11. FAMILY BOUNDARIES ‑Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors young person's whereabouts. 53%/47%

12. SCHOOL BOUNDARIES‑ School provides clear rules and consequences. 68%/58%

13. NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES- Neighbors take the responsibility of monitoring your behavior. 61%/53%

14. ADULT ROLE MODELS‑Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior. 25%/25%

15. POSITIVE PEER INFLUENCE‑Young person's best friends model responsible behavior. 54%/64%

16. HIGH EXPECTATIONS‑Both parent(s) & teachers encourage the young person to do well. 53%/55%

Constructive Use of Time

17. CREATIVE ACTIVITIES ‑ Young person spends 3 or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music/theater/ other arts. 12%/12%

18. YOUTH PROGRAMS ‑ 'Young Person spends 3 or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations/ school / community. 55%/53%

19. RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY ‑ Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious Institution. 74%/74%

20. TIME AT HOME ‑Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do"' two or fewer nights per week. 52%/61%

INTERNAL ASSETS

Commitment to Learning

21. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION ‑ Young person is motivated to do well in school. 65%/64%

22. SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT ‑ Young person is actively engaged in learning. 63%/57%

23. HOMEWORK ‑Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day. 50%/36%

24. BONDING TO SCHOOL ‑ Young person cares about her or his school. 55%/54%

25. READING FOR PLEA5URE ‑ Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week. 16%/16%

Positive Values

26. CARING ‑ Young person places high value on helping other people. 58%/52%

27. EQUALITY/SOCIAL JUSTICE ‑Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty 55%/53%

28. INTEGRITY‑Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her/his beliefs. 67%/70%

29. HONESTY ‑ Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy".  69%/66%

30. REPONSIBILITY ‑ Young person accepts/ takes personal responsibility. 70%/65%

31. RESTRAINT Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs. 48%/47%

Social Competencies

32. PLANNING AND DECIS1ON MAKING ‑ Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices. 30%/30%

33. INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE ‑Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills. 47%/46%

34. CULTURAL COMPETENCE ‑ Young person has knowledge/comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds. 33%/35%

35. RESISTANCE SKILLS ‑Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations. 42%/39%

36. PEACEFUL CONFLICT RESOLUTION ‑ Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently. 38%/37%

Positive Identity

37. PERS0NAL POWER ‑ Young person feels he or she has control over 'things that happen to me." 38%/38%

38. SELF ESTEEM ‑Young person reports having a high self‑esteem. 51%/41%

39. SENSE ON PURPOSE ‑ Young person reports, "my life has a purpose." 58%/54%

40. POSTIVE VIEW OF PERSONAL FUTURE ‑ Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future. 73%/69%

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM SEARCH INSTITUTE

For More INFORMATION call McLean County Drug Free Coalition at 270‑273-0065