For Youth Development
The YMCA of South Alabama strives to deliver not only quality programs but also develop great kids through developmental assets.
Building Blocks for Raising Healthy Children and Youth
Since its creation in 1990, Search Institute’s framework of
Developmental Assets has become the most widely used approach to
positive youth development in the YMCA.
Background—Grounded in extensive research in youth
development, resiliency, and prevention, the Developmental Assets
represent the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that
young people need to avoid risks and to thrive.
The Power of Assets—Studies of more than 2.2
million young people in the United States consistently show that the
more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in a
wide range of high-risk behaviors (see table below) and the more likely
they are to thrive. Assets have power for all young people, regardless
of their gender, economic status, family, or race/ethnicity.
Furthermore, levels of assets are better predictors of high-risk
involvement and thriving than poverty or being from a single-parent
family.
The Gap—The average young person experiences fewer
than half of the 40 assets. Boys experience three fewer assets than
girls (17.2 assets for boys vs. 19.9 for girls).
EXTERNAL ASSETS
- Family Support | Family life provides high levels
of love and support.
- Positive Family Communication | Parent(s) and child
communicate positively. Child feels comfortable seeking advice and
counsel from parent(s).
- Other Adult Relationships | Child receives support
from adults other than her or his parent(s).
- Caring Neighborhood | Child person experiences
caring neighbors.
- Caring School Climate | Relationships with teachers
and peers provide a caring, encouraging environment.
- Parent Involvement in Schooling | Parent(s) are
actively involved in helping the child succeed in school.
- Community Values Youth | Child feels valued and
appreciated by adults in the community.
- Children as Resources | Child is included in
decisions at home and in the community.
- Service to Others | Child has opportunities to help
others in the community.
- Safety | Child feels safe at home, school, and in
the neighborhood.
- Family Boundaries | Family has clear rules and
consequences and monitors the child ’s whereabouts.
- School Boundaries | School provides clear rules and
consequences.
- Neighborhood Boundaries | Neighbors take
responsibility for monitoring the child ’s behavior.
- Adult Role Models | Parent(s) and other adults in
the child’s family, as well as nonfamily adults, model positive,
responsible behavior.
- Positive Peer Influence | Child’s closest friends
model positive, responsible behavior.
- High Expectations | Parent(s) and teachers expect
the child to do her or his best at school and in other activities
- Creative Activities | Child participates in music,
art, drama, or creative writing two or more times per week.
- Child Programs |Child participates two or more
times per week in cocurricular school activities or structured community
programs for children.
- Religious Community | Child attends religious
programs or services one or more times per week.
- Time at Home | Child spends some time most days
both in high-quality interaction with parents and
doing things at home other than watching TV or playing video
games.
Internal Assets
- Achievement Motivation | Child is motivated and
strives to do well in school.
- Learning Engagement | Child is responsive,
attentive, and actively engaged in learning at school and enjoys
participating in learning activities outside of school.
- Homework | Child usually hands in homework on time.
- Bonding to School | Child cares about teachers and
other adults at school.
- Reading for Pleasure | Child enjoys and engages in
reading for fun most days of the week
- Caring | Parent(s) tell the child it is important
to help other people.
- Equality and Social Justice | Parent(s) tell the
child it is important to speak up for equal rights for all people.
- Integrity | Parent(s) tell the child it is
important to stand up for one’s beliefs.
- Honesty | Parent(s) tell the child it is important
to tell the truth.
- Responsibility | Parent(s) tell the child it is
important to accept personal responsibility for behavior.
- Healthy Lifestyle | Parent(s) tell the child it is
important to have good health habits and an understanding of healthy
sexuality.
- Planning and Decision Making | Child thinks about
decisions and is usually happy with results of her or his decisions.
- Interpersonal Competence | Young person has
empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
- Cultural Competence | Child knows and is
comfortable with people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural
backgrounds and with her or his own cultural identity.
- Resistance Skills | Child can stay away from people
who are likely to get her or him in trouble and is able to say no to
doing wrong or dangerous things.
- Peaceful Conflict Resolution | Child seeks to
resolve conflict nonviolently.
- Personal Power | Child feels he or she has some
influence over things that happen in her or his life.
- Self-Esteem | Child likes and is proud to be the
person that he or she is.
- Sense of Purpose | Child sometimes thinks about
what life means and whether there is a purpose for her or his life.SHOW ME HOW TO
- Positive View of Personal Future | Child is
optimistic about her or his personal future.
The YMCA mentoring and youth development programs use the developmental assets to frame curriculum for all programs.
