Assets

(Adapted from Alaskan Homilies-to help kids succeed)

Several years ago, the Search Institute identified 40 Developmental Assets that are critical to kids’ success. Think of those Assets as the supporting framework of a house. The framing holds the entire house up. The same with Assets. The more a child has, the more apt they are to avoid risky behaviors and do well in school, in life, and in relationships. 

Unfortunately, the average youth in America is likely to have only 18 (or less) of these 40 Assets. And these are kids just like the ones in our communities. In fact, if we surveyed our kids, we’d probably find they have about 18 Assets. And we want them to have all 40! After all, the healthier our communities’ youth are, the more healthy, safe and productive our communities will be.

There are two types of Assets. External Assets are the people and experiences in a kid’s life. Internal Assets are qualities of, or internal to, the youth. Caring adults provide external Assets and nurture the development of internal ones.

You might ask, "What, specifically, are the Assets?" You will find one Asset listed each month in Partners. A couple of EASY ideas will be included to encourage you to be an Asset Builder for any youth you might meet.

Please keep this article in mind over the next several months and look for each Weekly Asset somewhere in Partners. Being an Asset Builder in the life of a young person can be a life-changing experience for both of you. Call the office if you’d like more information before next week’s note.