APPENDIX

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40 Developmental Assets

Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.

External Assets
Support
1. Family support-family live provides high levels of love and support.
2. Positive family communication-young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.
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 in schooling-Parent(s) are actively involved in helping 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 person are given useful roles in the community
9. Service to others- Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week. 
10. Safety-Young person feels safe at home, 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 behavior.
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 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.

Internal Assets
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 her or his beliefs.
29. Honesty-Young person "tells 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 other 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 Purpose-Young person reports that "my live has a purpose"
40. Positive view of personal future-Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

Permission to reproduce this handout is granted for educational, noncommercial purposes, Copyright © 1997 by Search Institute, 700 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. 800-888-7828 www.search-institute.org

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