What are Developmental Assets?

Youth Developmental Assets are the Individual Qualities & Social Supports that help children & youth make good decisions & grow to be healthy and successful. Success is defined as becoming a self-sufficient, caring & contributing member of the community.

Developmental Assets is a framework that focuses on the positive of what we want for our children, NOT on what we don’t want. The framework is built upon the latest research about what makes children resilient; that ability to bounce back from challenging circumstances and events.

Assets is not a program! The Asset Framework provides a model of how to build and sustain meaningful relationships with children & youth at home, school, church, and youth clubs. It challenges us to examine the WAY we interact with children and teens in our life. This model asks us to look at our individual actions or practices; are they asset building OR do we reinforce what we DON’T want?
 
 

Where did the Developmental Asset Idea come from?

The Developmental Assets Framework is based on research from the Search Institute in Minnesota. Between 1990-1996, they have conducted a survey of over 1/2 million kids across the country in grades 7-12. Founded in 1957, the Search Institute is a non-profit research organization is dedicated to the study of adolescents.
 
 

Where and when were the surveys done?

Between 1990-95, students from over 600 communities in 33 states (excluding AK) were surveyed (using the original 30 Asset framework survey). Between 1996-97, in 312 towns/cities (i.e. Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Seattle) 100,000 kids were surveyed using the 40 asset framework. In 1997 the following Alaska Communities have participated in the survey: Wrangell, Ketchikan, Craig, and Sitka. Several other communities are planning to survey this fall or spring.
 
 

What did the Search Institute Research find?

The MORE assets a teenager had the less likely he/she was to be involved in sexual activity, alcohol and other drugs, violence and other risk behaviors. It also found that the MORE assets a teenager had the more likely he/she was to be involved in positive behaviors: doing well in school, helping others, delays gratification, maintains good health.

What are the Developmental Assets?

The Search Institute identified 40 Assets. They are divided into 2 types: internal & external.

Internal Assets

• Positive Values: Caring, honesty, responsibility, integrity, restraint,
• and a sense of equality & social justice.
• Skills (social competencies): Planning, decision making, communication skills,
• able to "Say No" and to resolve conflict.
• Committed to Learning: Motivated, does homework, enjoys reading, cares about school.
• Positive Identity: High self-esteem, optimistic about future, feels in control, life has purpose.

• Support: From family, otheradults, neighborhood & school.
• Boundaries & Expectations: Clear rules, consequences, and high expectations

• Constructive use of time: After school activities: creative pursuits, youth programs,

• Empowerment: Youth given useful roles in community, involved in service activities;

How many assets do most kids have?

The research by the Search Institute set out to answer that question. They found that most teens have about 18 assets. The research found that the number of assets declined with age. Overall,

20% of youth have less than 10 assets (these are the teens we see with most of the problems),

42% of youth have 11-20 assets, 30% have 21-30 assets, and 8% of youth have 31-40 assets.
 
 

Whose responsibility is it to build assets in our children & youth?

Everyone’s! In the words of James Baldwin, "They are all of our children, we will either PAY for or BENEFIT from who they become." It is the SHARED responsibility of a community to build assets in youth (family, schools, neighbors, youth agencies, congregations, and teens).
 
 

What are the Key Asset Building Principles?

1. There is NOT a single answer. It is the combined effect of numerous assets nurtured by many.
2. Everyone can build assets.

The Asset Framework is being utilized by numerous families, individuals, community based agencies and schools throughout Alaska (Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks, Kenai, Sitka, Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Hoonah, King Salmon, Unalakleet, Juneau, Valdez, Craig, Fort Yukon, Kotzebue, Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake, Delta Junction, Angoon, to name a few.) This framework has broad appeal because it builds upon a family’s and individual’s strengths rather than trying to shore up weaknesses.

Since 1995 ten Alaskan Communities have measured the number of assets in their youth using the Search Institute’s Profiles of Students’ Attitudes and Behaviors Survey. (Wrangell, Kodiak, Ketchikan, Sitka, Klawock, Craig, the Zach Gordon Teen Center in Juneau, Anchorage, Kake, and Mat-Su.) Several other communities are diligently raising awareness and securing positive parent consent and hope to administer the survey the year 2001. (Angoon, Hoonah, and Barrow.)

To support asset building statewide, the Section of Maternal Child and Family Health and the Association of Alaska School Boards raised the necessary funds to write, produce, and print 75,000 copies of Helping Kids Succeed – Alaskan Style. These books are available free of charge. In order to reduce the costs of postage, it is our recommendation that each community pool its resources and order in quantities of 50.
 
 

For more information on Building Assets, or to request books, contact:
 

Mattrew Turner Community Engagement Coordinator Association of Alaska School Boards 316 W. 11th Street Juneau, AK 99801 PH: 907-586-1483 Email = mturner@aash.org

Becky Judd Adolescent Health Coordinator Alaska Division of Public Health, Section of Maternal Child and Family Health 3601 C St. Suite 934 - Box 240249 Anchorage, AK 99524 (907)269-3425 fax 269-3432 Email = BAJUDD@health.state.ak.us She has the main supply of Assets books in  the state.