By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
Champions of Youth Ambitions

A new calendar year is often an exciting time to get back to basics. At a time of such divisiveness and strife in the country, we may feel a loss of control over things. We hope to educate about one handy tool you can implement on your own and often in your own home, neighborhood, or school community, however you define it.

About 18 years ago, I was sitting in the Duane Smith Auditorium when I was filling out a simple survey about something called “40 Developmental Assets”. It dawned on me that I received many of these assets from my neighborhood and school. It unknowingly launched a life path – then career path that still exists today.

The Search Institute is the parent organization of the 40 Developmental Assets located in Minneapolis, Minn. They have spent 60 years working in Positive Youth Development. My relationship was with Dr. Peter Benson and his staff and trainers. He even came here for a presentation; it was like a rock star was present. If you want to jump ahead, one of his books is at our local library called, All Kids Are Our Kids: What Communities Must Do to Raise Caring Children and Adolescents.

There are two categories of assets “Internal” and “External”, with 20 assets in each category:

• The “External” category includes Support, Empowerment, Boundaries and Expectations and Constructive Use of Time; and
• The “Internal” category includes Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies and Positive Identity.

This month we will start with a portion of “Internal Assets”. They are described as, “The personal skills, commitments, and values they need to make good choices, take responsibility for their own lives and be independent and fulfilled.”

These Commitment to Learning assets is Achievement Motivation, Learning Engagement, Homework, Bonding to school and Reading for Pleasure.

The Positive Values assets are: Caring, Equality and social justice, Integrity, Honesty, Responsibility, and Healthy Lifestyle. You can learn simple things to do to impart these assets into young people as they grow. The benefit is that one never stops acquiring the assets and the more you have the better. You can start today at no cost.

Today, the Search Institute is under the direction of President and CEO Dr. Benjamin Houltberg, LMFT. Dr. Houltberg even sent a letter of congratulations to our non-profit, Champions of Youth Ambitions to mark our 10th birthday in June of 2024. You can check out the wealth of information including research, programs and resources for how important Developmental Relationships are in the lives of your children and young people in our community.

The best thing is that the 40 Developmental Assets have no political or religious arm, there is no income or education required, just information to glean. You can learn more at www.search-institute.org or simply ask us to mail or email some handouts. We can break it down by age or grade and a variety of languages are available. We can even provide a copy of the same survey from 2007.

Imagine a New Year’s resolution that you will not abandon if you like to read. Contact us at cya.org@att.net or 505.695.9139.