Creating a stronger and more healthy community in Southern Illinois by building assets.
So what are these developmental assets?  The Search Institute spent decades looking at research on children and teens to try to figure out why some kids succeeded and others struggled.  What they found were 40 different traits, experiences and values that successful young people had in common.  Over years of study, they developed this framework into a working model.  By studying over 2 million students in North America, they discovered that no matter what race, geographic, or economic background, most kids were influenced by their own asset levels.  The more of these 40 assets a student has, the more successful they typically are.  The lower the asset levels the more they tend to struggle. 

In fact, research indicates a general "safe line" for most students at 30 assets or above.  The most at-risk students were those with 10 or below.  Now one's personal asset level certainly does not guarantee success or hardship, but it is one of the most reliable indicators we have.  Now its important to realize that on the polar ends of the spectrum you have really high ssset students and really low asset students, but that represents only 26% of the youth population.  What about the middle 74%?  These are the kids who could go either way.  If people invest in these students with personal relationships it could make the difference between a student acheiving or giving up.  We'll talk more about how these assets grow elsewhere.  But by now you might be curious as to what these assets are.

The assets break down into two general catagories.  External assets are those experiences that we adults establish for kids.  These are boundaries, rules, relationships, and other environmental factors that drive character development. Internal assets are those traits that grow within in a young person, usually in response to the external assets.  The assets are listed below and the percentage next to each asset is the number of students who report consistently having this asset in their lives.
WHAT ARE THESE ASSETS?
 

EXTERNAL ASSETS         

INTERNAL ASSETS        

Family Support (68%)  Achievement Motivation (65%)  
Positive Family Communication (28%)   School Engagement (55%)  
Other Adult Relationships (43%)    Homework (47%)  
Caring Neighborhood (37%)   Bonding to School (52%)  
Caring School Climate (29%)   Reading for Pleasure (22%)  
Parent Involvement in School (29%)   Caring for Others (50%)  
Community Values Youth (22%)   Equality and Social Justice (52%)  
Youth as Resources (26%)   Integrity (68%)  
Service to Others (48%)   Honesty (66%)  
Safety (51%)   Responsibility (63%)  
Family Boundaries (46%)   Restraint (45%) 
School Boundaries (52%)   Planning and Decision-Making (29%)  
Neighborhood Boundaries (47%)   Interpersonal Competence (45%)  
Adult Role Models (27%)   Cultural Competence (43%)  
Positive Peer Influence (63%)   Resistance Skills (41%)  
High Expectations (48%)  Peaceful Conflict Resolution (40%)  
Creative Activities (21%)  Personal Power (42%)  
Youth Programs (57%)   Self-esteem (48%) 
Religious Community (58%)  Sense of Purpose (57%)  
Time at Home (51%)   Positive View of Personal Future (72%)