FOSTERING STUDENTS' ASSETS
How can a student assistance team foster student assets?
As a Student Assistance Team creates student action plans, it reviews the information
gathered about the student, especially about the student's strengths and compares
that to the list of assets. If a student does not exhibit an asset as a strength,
then it is a need. The team then brainstorms strategies that could fill those
needs. For example, if a student lacks empowerment and constructive use of time,
a plan might include helping teachers after school, volunteering at a local soup
kitchen, tutoring younger students, becoming a peer mediator or running for president
of the band, depending on the student's interests and talents. Research has made
it clear that building youth assets yields positive results.
Founded in 1958, the Search Institute conducted research that led to the creation
of 40 Developmental Assets, a framework that lists the internal qualities and
external conditions needed for young people to grow up to be healthy, caring adults.
While there is no magic numbers supported by data, the Search Institute recommends
that to be successful, young people need to have at least 31 assets. Their research
indicates, however, that only 9% of youth have at least 31 assets and that over
50% have 20 or fewer.
- Search Institute
- 150 Ways to Show Kids You Care
- What Teens Need From Adults
- Developmental Assets Among Youth of Color
- Tapping the Power of Community: Building Assets to Strengthen Substance Abuse Prevention
- Student Achievement: Do Assets Make a Difference?
- Assets and Academic Achievement
- New Research on the Power of Developmental Assets
- Boy Scouts of
America