Community Change
Metro Youth Partnership is based on research through the Minneapolis-based non-profit organization, Search Institute.
Since 1989, Search Institute has assisted numerous communities throughout the United States by surveying students. The survey, “Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors”, assesses the presence of 40 building blocks for the healthy development of kids. These building blocks are called developmental assets.
According to Search Institute research, the more developmental assets a youth has the less likely they are to engage in risky behavior. More assets mean fewer problem behaviors. Many of these assets are developed through positive, caring relationships between youth and adults.
You may not know it, but you are probably building assets in youth daily. Have you:
- Encouraged a child to do their best?
- Worked to ensure your community is a safe place for children?
- Said hi! to the kids in your church?
- Supported a youth activity such as basketball or theater?
This is what asset building is all about, just being you. These activities don’t take a lot of time or money and can make a world of difference. More assets mean more healthy and happy Moorhead, Fargo, and West Fargo kids.
This is where Metro Youth Partnership comes in…we are here to help YOU build assets with and for young people.
8 Core Community Values
Early in our history, we surveyed community members, coming to consensus on 8 Core Values that would guide the activities and the discourse of what was then Moorhead Healthy Community Initiative; as we move forward now as the Metro Youth Partnership, we remain committed to these principles, and aim to build them up in our community. Are we setting ourselves as good role models, displaying the importance of these values in our own lives? How do we instill, consciously and unconsciously, these values in our children?
Love
Respect
Faith
Responsibility
Diversity
Caring
Honesty
Integrity
To help jumpstart conversations around these and other values, beliefs, and suport networks, MYP has a great collection of resources, online and in the office.
If you have Ideas about spreading the Asset Message in your home, your neighborhood, place of business, place of worship, or school, share them with us!
40 Developmental
Assets
For more
information on asset building and Search Institute’s National
Healthy Communities - Healthy Youth Initiative, call 1-800-888-7828 or visit www.search-institute.org.
| Support |
| 1.
Family Support |
Family
life provides high levels of love and support. |
| 2. Positive Family Communication |
Young person and her or his parent(s)
communicate positively. |
| 3. Other adult
relationships |
Young person receives
support from three or more non-parent adults. |
| 4. Caring neighborhood |
Young person experiences caring neighbors. |
| 5. Caring school
climate |
School provides
a caring, encouraging environment. |
| 6. Parent involvement with school |
Parent(s) are actively involved in
helping a young person succeed in school. |
| Empowerment |
| 7.
Community values youth |
Young
person perceives that adults in the community value youth. |
| 8. Youth as resources |
Young people are given useful roles
in the community. |
| 9. Service to others |
Young person serves
in the community one or more hours per week. |
| 10. Safety |
Young person feels safe at home,
at school, and in the neighborhood. |
| Boundaries
and Expectations |
| 11.
Family boundaries |
Family
has clear rules and consequences, and monitors the young person’s
whereabouts. |
| 12. School boundaries |
School provides clear rules and consequences. |
| 13. Neighborhood
boundaries |
Neighbors take
responsibility for monitoring young people’s behaviors. |
| 14. Adult role models |
Parent(s) and other adults model
positive, responsible behavior. |
| 15. Positive peer
influence |
Young person’s
best friends model responsible behavior. |
| 16. High expectations |
Both parent(s) and teachers encourage
the young person to do well. |
| Constructive
Use of Time |
| 17.
Creative activities |
Young
person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice
in music, theater, or other arts. |
| 18. Youth programs |
Young person spends three or more
hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school
and/or in the community. |
| 19. Religious community |
Young person spends
one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution. |
| 20. Time at home |
Young person is out with friends
"with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per
week. |
| Commitment
to Learning |
| 21.
Achievement motivation |
Young
person is motivated to do well in school. |
| 22. School engagement |
Young person is actively engaged
in learning. |
| 23. Homework |
Young person reports
doing at least one hour of homework every school day. |
| 24. Bonding to school |
Young person cares about his or her
school. |
| 25. Reading for
pleasure |
Young person reads
for pleasure three or more hours per week. |
| Positive
Values |
| 26.
Caring |
Young
person places high value on helping other people. |
| 27. Equality and social justice |
Young person places high value on
promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty. |
| 28. Integrity |
Young person acts
on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs. |
| 29. Honesty |
Young person “tells the truth
even when it is not easy.” |
| 30. Responsibility |
Young person accepts
and takes personal responsibility. |
| 31. Restraint |
Young person believes it is important
not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or drugs. |
| Social
Competencies |
| 32. Planning and decision
making |
Young person knows how
to plan ahead and make choices. |
| 33. Interpersonal competence |
Young person has empathy, sensitivity,
and friendship skills. |
| 34. Cultural competence |
Young person has
knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic
backgrounds. |
| 35. Resistance skills |
Young person can resist negative
peer pressure and dangerous situations. |
| 36. Peaceful conflict
resolution |
Young person seeks
to resolve conflict nonviolently. |
| Positive
Identity |
| 37.
Personal power |
Young
person feels he or she has control over “things that happen
to me.” |
| 38. Self-esteem |
Young person reports having a high
self-esteem. |
| 39. Sense of power |
Young person reports
that “my life has a purpose.” |
| 40. Positive view of personal future |
Young person is optimistic about
his or her personal future. |
Youth
Assets Report
In May of 2007, we expanded into Fargo and West Fargo with a historic survey of the assets present in our young people. Every single public, private, and parochial school grades 4-12 participated in either the “Me and My World” or “Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors,” created by the Search Institute
Covering a wide range of topics and ideas, the Survey gave us a clear snapshot of how kids were percieving the world around them. Some of the results are cause for celebration, some of them are cause for concern; all of them are a call to continue the conversation with young people- an Asset Builder’s work is never done.
Looking to incorporate this information into your program? Need additional support in a grant report? The full reports are now available online!
4th and 5th Grade Survey Summary  193 K
6th through 12th Grade Survey Summary 239 K
Below is an abbreviated breakdown of Students’ Responses. Which pop out at you? Are you surprised? Proud? How can you build these assets today?
Asset Descriptor |
2007 |
1999* |
Grades
4-5 |
Grades
6-12 |
Grades
6-12 |
1. Family support |
86% |
70% |
67% |
2. Positive Family Communication |
59% |
29% |
26% |
3. Other Adult Relationships |
53% |
46% |
45% |
4. Caring Neighborhood |
54% |
38% |
41% |
5. Caring School Climate |
61% |
33% |
29% |
6. Parent Involvement in Schooling |
45% |
27% |
26% |
7. Community Values Youth |
33% |
25% |
23% |
8. Youth as Resources |
52% |
28% |
27% |
9. Service to Others |
35% |
47% |
51% |
10. Safety |
70% |
54% |
54% |
11. Family Boundaries |
60% |
43% |
46% |
12. School Boundaries |
85% |
51% |
43% |
13. Neighborhood Boundaries |
52% |
47% |
49% |
14. Adult Role Models |
47% |
29% |
28% |
15. Positive Peer Influence |
90% |
72% |
64% |
16. High Expectations |
89% |
47% |
46% |
17. Creative Activities |
60% |
20% |
21% |
18. Youth Programs |
61% |
59% |
64% |
19. Religious Community |
67% |
65% |
75% |
20. Time at Home |
35% |
44% |
42% |
21. Achievement Motivation |
74% |
64% |
62% |
22. School Engagement |
50% |
61% |
65% |
23. Homework |
78% |
41% |
50% |
24. Bonding to School |
80% |
59% |
52% |
25. Reading for Pleasure |
54% |
24% |
21% |
26. Caring |
87% |
49% |
39% |
27. Equality and Social Justice |
70% |
50% |
42% |
28. Integrity |
84% |
66% |
60% |
29. Honesty |
89% |
67% |
60% |
30. Responsibility |
84% |
62% |
56% |
31. Restraint |
75% |
54% |
51% |
32. Planning and Decision-making |
47% |
30% |
30% |
33. Interpersonal Competence |
49% |
45% |
45% |
34. Cultural Competence |
67% |
35% |
30% |
35. Resistance Skills |
79% |
46% |
40% |
36. Peaceful Conflict Resolution |
76% |
51% |
53% |
37. Personal Power |
64% |
45% |
49% |
38. Self-esteem |
73% |
50% |
49% |
39. Sense of Purpose |
46% |
62% |
62% |
40. Positive View of Personal Future |
61% |
74% |
77% |
*1999 Results Reflect Moorhead Only
Results and Testimonials
Through a partnership with Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead Parks and Recreation, and MYP, Junior and Senior Education majors are given the opportunity to mentor youth in four of Moorhead’s parks programs. One mentor/mentee match found that they had the Spanish language in common. Each week the pair worked on writing and illustrating a bilingual book. For their last meeting the mentor had a second copy of the book copied, laminated and specially inscribed for her new young friend.
****************************
A parent of an 8th grade boy contacted the MYP office in appreciation of what the after school enrichment skate park program did for her son. According to the mother her withdrawn teen upon hearing of this program asked for a second-hand skateboard to attend this skill building activity. In enhancing his skateboarding skills he began to form friendships, built confidence and became a mentor to his peers.
****************************
A mother of two elementary-aged girls was approached by a school staff person at Back to School Night and informed the mother of the MYP scholarship program after hearing her daughter ask to join ballet. The mother contacted MYP for scholarships for her daughters and explained that before she could afford lessons, but upon being diagnosed with cancer and the increasing medical costs the girls would be unable to continue ballet lessons. Months after her daughters were given scholarships the mother contacted MYP and reported that because of the opportunity to continue with ballet the girls maintained some normalcy in their lives that had otherwise been turned upside-down. She is reporting good health and would like to give back to other youth by offering a reduced fee for youth activities at her place of employment.
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