Ideas for Building More Assets in Youth

For Young People

Post the 40 Developmental Assets in your room or in your locker
Go out of your way to greet your neighbors
Try a variety of experiences and activities in music, theater, art and athletics at school and in your community
Start a book club with friends and read just for fun
Volunteer at a local nursing home, community center or animal hospital
Talk about the 40 Developmental Assets with your family - which assets do family members think are the strongest in your family?

For Children

Tell a friend about your day
When someone does something that hurts your feelings, tell that person explain why it made you feel sad
Invite someone new to play with your friends
Volunteer to help someone do something
Look at books with another child - read aloud if you know how or make up a story to go with the pictures

For Adults

Learn the names of children and teenagers who live near you or who work in shops that you frequent - greet them by name
Support local efforts to provide safe spaces for young people to meet and spend time together
Get involved in volunteer efforts with children and youth
Build at least one informal, ongoing, caring relationship with a child or adolescent
Commit to at least one act of asset building every day
Model a positive, healthy lifestyle - find peaceful ways to resolve conflicts; motivate yourself to achieve; and view young people as resources

For Parents and Guardians

Nurture your own assets by spending time with people who care about you and are supportive; take opportunities to learn new things, contribute to your community and have fun - you'll take better care of your children if you take care of yourself
Connect with other parents who are interested in asset building
Eat at least one meal together as a family every day
Develop a family mission statement that focuses on building assets, and then use it to help make family decisions and set priorities
Talk about your values and priorities with your children and live in a way that is consistent with them

For School Teachers

Teach students about the 40 assets and help them set goals for assets they want to develop
Meet with other teachers and brainstorm ways to help students succeed
Plan asset-building learning activities as part of the curriculum
Provide asset-building resources to parents
Set high and clear expectations for student behavior and learning outcomes
Provide a process in the classroom for mutual goal setting and evaluation
Use "strength interviews" with students to help them identify their assets and their sources of support

For Volunteer Coordinators

Give each volunteer a list of the 40 assets that focuses on the age group he or she works with
Create a job description for each volunteer position you have
Include asset building for young people in the job description
Talk with people in the community to learn about barriers to volunteering with children
Screen your volunteers who will work with children and youth
Create youth-oriented volunteer opportunities that are diverse in the amount of time, energy, and expertise needed

For Child-Care Workers

Be consistent with the daily activities
Read to children every day
Point out positive, caring behaviors of children
Use reassuring words and a warm tone of voice
Tell parents about asset building
Because children learn by experience, give children opportunities to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell new things

For Child-Care Centers

Learn as much as you can about the assets for the ages of children your center serves
Make honoring cultural diversity a priority
Schedule annual or semi-annual conferences with parents
Hang children's artwork and projects not only in rooms but also in the hallways and entrance to your center
Assign each child a particular child-care worker that each child has at least one adult with whom to form a close relationship

For Health-Care Providers

Turn your waiting room into an asset-building area - have toys, books and magazines for children that promote reading and learning, and information for teens and adults that include asset-building ideas
Be respectful of patients' time and other commitments
If your organization has a community advisory group or board, include young people
Share information about asset building with parents, especially new parents
Collaborate with schools and youth-serving organizations to provide health care/healthy lifestyle information to young people

For Organizations that Employ Young People

Acknowledge major accomplishments and milestones in young employees' lives
Give your employees a lot of feedback - be sincere in your praise when young people have worked hard to earn it; be clear about your expectations and make sure youth have the opportunity to define their goals and objectives; and tell them how their work contributes to the success of the organization
Tell young people what you expect them to do and how you expect them to act when they are working
Invite young people to conferences, workshops and seminars
Point out the positive values that your organization believes in

The developmental assets are 40 opportunities, skills, relationships, values, and self-perceptions that all young people need to succeed. From Pass It On! Ready-to-Use Handouts for Asset Builders, Copyright©1999 by Search Institute; 612-376-8955; 800-888-7828; www.search-institute.org. This handout may be reproduces for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.