Key Assets That Help Young People Succeed
Creating a healthy relational ecosystem for young people!
In December, our Program Director, Steve Cornelius led a training for the entire CCBS team based on The Search Institute’s data on the importance of relationships and connections for healthy adolescent development.
The Search Institute promotes positive youth development through research and practical solutions. Its work is based on more than thirty years of research, including two primary frameworks: Developmental Assets® and Developmental Relationships.
The two frameworks work together to help create a healthy relational ecosystem for young people.
The late Peter Benson, former CEO of The Search Institute, said:
“Young people are not vessels to be filled but fires to be lit. It is up to adult educators, family members, neighbors, and practitioners to draw out the assets that already exist within and around young people.”
The Search Institute’s Developmental Assets® Framework identifies 40 positive supports and strengths that young people need to succeed in families, schools, neighborhoods and communities. The framework is based on decades of research involving millions of young people with diverse backgrounds in many contexts and countries worldwide.
The first 20 assets are EXTERNAL (i.e., experiences and opportunities in their families, schools, youth programs and communities). The other 20 assets are INTERNAL (i.e., the personal skills, values and self-perceptions young people need to make good choices).
Here are some highlights of the developmental assets that can help young people succeed and thrive:
EXTERNAL ASSETS
- 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 they feel safe and respected. - Boundaries and Expectations
A young person needs 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.
INTERNAL ASSETS
- Commitment to Learning
A young person needs a sense of the lasting importance of learning and a belief in their own abilities. - Positive Values
A young person needs to develop strong guiding values or principles to help them make healthy life choices. - Social Competencies
A young person needs the skills to interact effectively with others, to make difficult decisions and to cope with new situations. - Positive Identity
A young person needs to believe in their own self-worth and to feel they have control over the things that happen to them.
To learn more about the Search Institute’s work and to download the complete Developmental Assets® Framework …
