DEVELOPMENTAL ASSET THE RESULTS FROM OUR 6 TH, 8 TH, 10 TH & 12 TH GRADERS

What are Assets? Pittsford Central School

Assets Assets are positive experiences, opportunities, & personal qualities that all kids need to be responsible, successful, and caring. Pittsford Central School

Search Institute has identified 40 building blocks of development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. Common Sense Common Sense External Internal Pittsford Central School

“Everything Grandma did or should have told me!” Common Sense Common Sense Pittsford Central School

Common Sense Common Sense 40BuildingBlocks40BuildingBlocks Pittsford Central School

1. Family support 2. Positive family communication 3. Other adult relationships 4. Caring neighborhood 5. Caring school climate 6. Parent involvement in schooling SUPPORT Pittsford Central School

7. Community values youth 8. Youth as resources 9. Service to others 10. Safety EMPOWERMENT Pittsford Central School

11. Family boundaries 12. School boundaries 13. Neighborhood boundaries 14. Adult role models 15. Positive peer influence 16. High expectations BOUNDARIES & EXPECTATIONS Pittsford Central School

17. Creative activities 18. Youth programs 19. Religious community 20. Time at home CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME Pittsford Central School

21. Achievement motivation 22. School engagement 23. Homework 24. Bonding to school 25. Reading for pleasure COMMITMENT TO LEARNING Pittsford Central School

26. Caring 27. Equality and social justice 28. Integrity 29. Honesty 30. Responsibility 31. Restraint POSITIVE VALUES Pittsford Central School

32. Planning and decision making 33. Interpersonal competence 34. Cultural competence 35. Resistance skills 36. Peaceful conflict resolution SOCIAL COMPETENCIES Pittsford Central School

37. Personal power 38. Self-esteem 39. Sense of purpose 40. Positive view of personal future POSITIVE IDENTITY Pittsford Central School

How many Assets? ? Pittsford Central School

The Challenge Facing the Williamson Community

Most young people in the United States - regardless of age, gender, or region of the country - experience too few of the 40 assets. Search Institute’s research on adolescents consistently has shown a small, but observable, decrease in assets among older adolescents (9 th through 12 th grade youth) as compared with young adolescents (6 th through 8 th grade youth). If the average number of assets in some of your grades is particularly low compared to other grades, it may suggest a need to more closely examine what is happening at that grade level. Here is the average number of assets reported by youth in your community at each grade level. Average Number of Assets for Williamson’s Youth

The Challenge Facing the Williamson Community Ideally, of course, all youth would experience of these assets. Each community needs to establish a goal for what percentage of youth it seeks to be at this level. The figure below shows the percentage of Williamson youth who experience each of four levels of assets: 0-10, 11-20, 21-30, and

Average Number of Assets for Williamson’s Youth

Why build Assets? Pittsford Central School

DEFICITS DEFICITS ARE INFLUENCES THAT INTERFERE WITH HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT

Report on deficits Grade DeficitTotal Alone at home two hours or more 42%20%38%47%57% Watches TV or videos three hour or more 29%32%31%28%23% Reports one or more incidents of abuse 29% 25%29%32% Reports being a victim of violence within the last two years 28%26%27%31%26% Reports attending at least one or more parties in the last year where students were drinking 39%1%21%55%71%

RISK TAKING INDICATORS STUDENTS WITH FEWER ASSETS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN RISKY BEHAVIOR

Used alcohol once or more in the last 30 days

Drove after drinking once or more in the last 12 months Rode (once or more in the last 12 months) with a driver who had been drinking

Used marijuana once or more in the last 12 months

Is frequently depressed and/or has attempted suicide

Smoked cigarettes once or more in the last 30 days

THE NEED TO BUILD ASSETS BEGINS AT BIRTH THE DATA THAT FOLLOWS SHOWS THAT WE NEED TO START TO BUILDING ASSETS EARLY

Used Alcohol Once or More in the Last 30 Days

THRIVING INDICATORS STUDENTS WITH MORE ASSETS EXHIBIT MORE THRIVING BEHAVIORS THAN STUDENTS WITH FEWER ASSETS

Gets mostly As on report cards

Places high importance on getting to know people of other racial/ethnic groups

Pays attention to healthy nutrition and exercise

Avoids doing things that are dangerous

Williamson’s Asset Strengths Family support Youth programs Achievement motivation School Engagement Bonding to School Integrity Honesty Responsibility Sense of purpose Positive view of personal future All have scores of 60% and above.

External 2. Positive Family Communication37% 5. Caring School Climate33% 7. Communities Value Youth25% 8. Youth as Resources31% 14. Adult Role Models36% 17. Creative Activities21% Williamson’s Opportunities to Build Assets Williamson’s Opportunities to Build Assets Internal 25. Reading for Pleasure30% 32. Planning & Decision Making30% 34. Cultural Competence39%

What can we do? Build assets individually everyday with the young people you come in contact with Build assets in the organizations you are part of-school, congregations, youth organizations., families. Build assets community-wide. This is the way we can sustain the initiative.

The Asset Building Difference FROM…TO... Problem FocusPositive Focus Youth as ProblemsYouth as Resources ReactiveProactive Behavior BlamingClaiming Responsibility ProfessionalsEveryone Crisis ManagementVision Building CompetitionCooperation DespairHope

The Keys to Building Assets Everyone can build assets. Asset building is more about people than programs. All young people can benefit from asset building. Relationships between adults and young people are critical. Consistent messages are important.