What is the asset approach? What are the principles of asset building? What are kids saying? What can you do? What are local groups doing? What can you do today ? BOAST mission Services BOAST provides BOAST News BOAST goals and projects BOAST advisory council BOAST newsletters Recent national articles and research BOAST supporters

What is the "Asset Approach"?   We all agree that we want to decrease risky behavior in young people (such as alcohol and drug use, and sexual activity). The question is, how can we do this? The "asset approach" decreases risky behavior by concentrating on specific, practical, and positive developmental assets that all young people should have in their lives. Examples of these assets include adult role models and youth programs; all forty such assets are described in "what are kids saying?" The asset approach is based on over forty years of research conducted by the nationally-recognized Search Institute in Minneapolis. Their research has shown that if young people increase the number of assets they experience, they will decrease their risky behaviors. The asset model also provides a common language to understand and talk about what children and youth need, as well as a way to measure how our young people are doing.

BOAST NEWS BOAST Awarded Grants The Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation. and Upper Valley Community Foundation recently awarded grants to BOAST toward the completion of an interactive community service Web site and booklet for youth ages 5 and up. Youth community service network One initiative BOAST will be working on this year is the creation of a resource booklet and interactive Web site for young people to help them find meaningful ways to serve in their community. We will identify the existing service opportunities within the community and the schools, and produce a comprehensive service booklet and Web site from which young people can choose the service opportunities that best complement their strengths and interests. Research has shown that when young people are given meaningful roles,with adult role models who genuinely care about their well-being, they feel valued and are less likely to partake in risk-taking behaviors. Check out these interesting articles and Web sites: We have added links to interesting articles and research on youth development. Check out the new report sponsored by the Search Institute: Grading Grown ups - Americans Report on their real relationshops with kids. Read notes from a recent Alliance of School and Parents (ASAP) meeting on Negotiating Limits: What kids are saying: What parents can do.  Read notes from a recent ASAP meeting on homework. Media related Web sites for parents: check out these sites that rate movies,videos and tv shows according to language, violence, nudity and profanity. TEEN PEOPLE MAGAZINE SEEKS EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG PEOPLE TEEN People magazine is looking for some extraordinary teens for their "record breakers" box, which appears in every issue of the magazine.  If you know a teen who is involved in something exceptional or if you are that teen yourself, please send an email to Michelle_Hainer@teenpeople.com and describe what you or this person is doing.  Previous "record breakers" include a homeless teen who scored a perfect score on the SATs and a college gymnast who was only the second woman in history to score a perfect 10 on the vault. BOAST Hosts Youth Retreat BOAST hosted sixteen students during a youth retreat in December. The purpose of the retreat was to evaluate the Search Institute's Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors survey which was administered to Dresden students in December, 1997. The youth created an executive summary of the results which will be shared with community groups and area youth. The executive summary includes a list of the top three strengths and concerns the young people identified from the survey results. The strengths listed were: family support; youth programs; and personal expectations. The concerns listed were: safety; community values youth, boundaries. Some youth had voiced initial concern that the survey provided a dated picture of youth behaviors since the it was administered in 1997; however, the students were also given the recent results from the Youth Risk Behavior Study taken by the same population of students (grades 8, 10 and 12) in 1999, and concluded that the results were quite similar. The youth met in early January to complete their work and to begin forming an action plan which they will share with other youth and community members. The group has scheduled an end of January meeting to discuss ways to carry out their action plan and to find ways to share the asset message with the community. One of the most rewarding aspects for me as an adult was spending the day with such an articulate group of young people. By the end BOAST hosted sixteen students during a youth retreat in December. The purpose of the retreat was to evaluate the Search Institute's Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors survey which was administered to Dresden students in December, 1997. The youth created an executive summary of the results which will be shared with community groups and area youth.   Tips For Enjoying The Summer With Your Kids: Summer Tips for Young Teens Summer Tips for Kids Summer Tips for Your Teens

BOAST Mission: BOAST (Building Our Assets for a Safer Tomorrow) is a nonprofit consulting organization with the goal of creating a community-wide commitment to the healthy development of all youth using the asset approach.

BOAST Supporters: Upper Valley Community Foundation, Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation, United Way of the Upper Valley; Town of Hanover; Rotary Club; Ray School PTO; Kettering Family Foundation

BOAST Newsletter: FALL 99 Newsletter SPRING 2000 Newsletter WINTER 2001 Newsletter SUMMER 2001 Newsletter

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What services does BOAST provide?   Information: BOAST gives free presentations about asset building and provides consultation on ways to build assets for youth in the community.  Communication: BOAST serves as a community resource network for youth serving initiatives. Connection: BOAST helps connect you, your group, business, or organization with youth and other community asset builders.

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What are the principles of asset building?   Asset building: Is needed by all youth. Research shows that all young people&endash;regardless of gender, age, family composition, race or ethnicity&endash; can benefit from having more assets. While we must continue to pay special attention to children and youth who are in crisis and those who are at risk, the central challenge is to generate the kind of attention that will help all young people.   Is provided by everyone. In an asset-building community, everyone works at developing relationships with young people.   Is based on relationships. Building assets calls upon every single person to build both formal and informal positive relationships with young people.   Is an ongoing process. Asset building begins before birth or adoption, by equipping parents-to-be with skills and knowledge to care for a baby or child, and continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.   Requires consistent messages. Young people need to receive consistent messages about what is important and what is expected--from their families, schools, communities, the media, and other sources.   Must be reinforced. Assets must be continually reinforced across the years and in all areas of a young person's life.

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What are our kids saying?   Dresden students in grades 8, 10 and 12 took the "Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors Survey" in December, 1997. The figures below show the percentage of our local youth experiencing each asset. Ideally, all young people should experience at least 31 of the 40 assets; research show that the more assets a young person has, the less likely he or she will be to take partake in risk-taking behavior (including alcohol, drugs, violence, sexual activity, etc.) Unfortunately, less than 10% of youth locally and nationally report having at least 31 assets. This finding holds true regardless of community size, region of the country, gender, family economics, or race/ethnicity. In the Dresden school district only 6% of local students reported having over 30 assets. More specifically, the lists below show the Dresden survey results. The assets are grouped into two categories. The first category, "external assets," consists of positive developmental experiences provided by families and communities, including informal interactions with caring adults and peers. The second category, "internal assets," includes a young person's internal values, social competencies, commitments to his/her education, and personal identity. The Search Institute's Profile of Student Life survey has been administered to over a million students over the last decade. The Search Institute emphasizes that the survey is designed to provide a tool for assessing the health and well-being of a community, NOT to compare one child or one town to another. Many communities in the Upper Valley have had their youth take the survey. Contact BOAST for a complete listing.  External Assets Support 1. Has high family support: 73% 2. Has positive family communication: 30% 3. Has adult relationships (3+ non-parent): 50% 4. Has caring neighbors: 39% 5. Has caring school climate: 32% 6. Has parents who help succeed in school: 34% Empowerment 7. Perceives that community values youth: 22% 8. Given useful community roles: 39% 9. Serves the community (1+ hours/week): 48% 10. Feels safe in community: 68% Boundaries and Expectations 11. Family has clear boundaries; whereabouts are monitored: 34% 12. School has clear rules: 39% 13. Neighbors monitor behavior: 38% 14. Adults model responsible behavior: 34% 15. Best friends model responsible behavior: 59% 16. Parents & teachers have high expectations: 49% Constructive Use of Time 17. Creative activities (3+ hours in the arts): 24% 18. Youth programs (3+ hours): 77% 19. Religious community (1+ hours): 39% 20. Time at home (out with no activity fewer than 2 nights/week): 64% Internal Assets Commitment to Learning 21. Motivated to do well at school: 75% 22. Engaged in learning: 57% 23. Does homework (1+hours): 84% 24. Cares about his or her school: 61% 25. Reads for pleasure (3+ hours): 29% Positive Values 26. Values helping others: 46% 27. Values promoting equality and justice: 43% 28. Acts on convictions, stands up for beliefs: 67% 29. Tells the truth, even when not easy: 59% 30. Accepts personal responsibility: 57% 31. Restraint in sex and alcohol/drug use: 29% Social Competencies 32. Plans ahead, makes choices: 34% 33. Has empathy, sensitivity, friendship skills: 44% 34. Knowledge and comfort with diversity: 43% 35. Can resist negative peer pressure: 40% 36. Resolves conflict nonviolently: 45% Positive Identity 37. Feels personal control over things: 49% 38. Has high self-esteem: 53% 39. Has sense of purpose in life: 61% 40. Is optimistic about personal future: 69%

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What can you do?

The exciting thing about assets is that everyone-parents, youth, teachers, government, religious institutions, coaches, grandparents, employers, friends, doctors-can build them. The whole community can play a role in raising confident, caring young people who will be the leaders of tomorrow! Here are some ideas for what you can do:

NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS: Build caring relationships with young people. Express this caring through dialogue, listening, and commending positive behavior. Acknowledge their presence,enjoy their company and involve them in decision-making. BUSINESSES: Address the assets of support, boundaries, values and social competencies with teenage employees. Also develop family-friendly policies and provide mechanisms for employees to build relationships with youth. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS: Mobilize your capacity for intergenerational relationships, education and supporting parents, constructive use of time, values development, and service to the community. YOUTH: Find one special adult, other than your parent(s), to spend time with regularly. Take the initiative to promote assets for yourself and your peers.

SCHOOLS: Place priority on becoming caring environments for all students, providing a challenging curriculum and opportunities for nurturing values deemed crucial by the community. Use your connection with parents to reinforce the importance of family attention to assets.  LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Keep asset building and community-wide cooperation in mind when planning, creating policy and allocating funding within the municipality. Vote with children and youth in mind.  YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS: Train leaders and volunteers in asset-building strategies and provide meaningful opportunities for youth to serve their communities and to build citizenship and leadership skills. THE MEDIA (print, radio, television): Repeatedly communicate the community's vision, support local mobilization efforts, and report innovative actions taken by individuals and organizations.

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What are local groups doing?

This is a just a sample of what some of the local organizations are doing to promote healthy youth development:

 

CABLE ACCESS TELEVISION (CATV): CATV provides training and opportunity for youth to work at the station and to be videographers for local events. CATV also regularly airs school sponsored music and drama presentations and sporting events.   PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS: Hanover/Norwich Parks and Recreation Departments provide local youth with an inexpensive and diverse selection of leisure activities that encourage participation in programs that promote sportsmanship and physical fitness and develops good citizenship.   HERE IN HANOVER MAGAZINE and UPPER VALLEY PARENT PAPER: The magazine regularly includes positive articles about youth and youth initiatives in the Upper Valley.   HOOD MUSEUM/HOP CENTER: These cultural centers provide the community with numerous programs that enhance youth understanding and appreciation of the arts.   LIBRARIES: Hanover, Etna, Norwich, and Lyme libraries offer regular children's reading hours for toddlers. The Howe Library offers a tutor after school to encourage students to do studying there. The Howe and Lyme Libraries have ongoing art exhibits which often highlight local youth artistic efforts. All libraries welcome youth as volunteers and patrons.   LIONS AND ROTARY CLUBS: These service organizations, in Hanover and Norwich, offer college scholarships to high school seniors. they also sponsor community events for youth and and their families.   PARENT GROUPS: Hanover PTO/Norwich PTA/ Alliance for School and Parents (ASAP) offer educational programming and fun events to enhance the school communities in which they serve.   UPPER VALLEY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS: These institutions provide youth with meaningful opportunities to serve the community and to regularly participate in intergenerational activities.   YOUTH-IN-ACTION: Provides opportunities for high school-aged youth to participate in community service. Adults are welcome to volunteer as well.   UPPER VALLEY POLICE DEPARTMENTS: These law enforcement agencies offer a yearly anti-drug/anti-violence program called "Kids and Cops." During this time local police make a special effort to get to know the community's youth. The culminating event is a sports day where police and Dartmouth athletes serve as positive role models for kids during a fun day of sporting events.

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BOAST ADVISORY COUNCIL   Linda Addante - School Board member, psychiatrist, BOAST CoChair, parent Rocco Addante-High School Student Clint Bean-Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce Willy Black-Hanover Select board member, grandparent Ann Bradley-Bernice A. Ray School Nurse, United Way of the Upper Valley President, grandparent Robert Bryant-Youth service provider, educator, parent Winsie Carroll-High school student Kate Coburn- DHMC Center For Continuing Ed. in the Health Sciences Director Kathy Geraghty-Youth-In-Action coordinator, parent Ken Greenbaum-Superintendent of SAU 70 Julia Griffin-Hanover Town Manager, parent Cheryl Herrmann-Businesswoman, parent Joe O'Donnell-Physician, parent Jan Scheiner-Psychologist, parent Meghan Sullivan-Graduate student Hetty Thomae-Teacher, family therapist, children's theater director, parent Geoffrey Vitt- Attorney, parent Leslie Williamson-BOAST CoChair, parent

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What can you do today? You can make a positive difference in the lives of young people around you. Keeping in mind the eight categories of developmental assets, try these simple actions and discover the power you have to build assets for kids!   Support them with your love, care, and attention.   Encourage them to use their abilities to help others so that they experience empowerment.   Set reasonable boundaries and have high expectations.   Help them to find creative, meaningful activities that make constructive use of their time.   Nurture in them a commitment to learning.   Instill positive values to guide them.   Help them develop life skills and social competencies.   Celebrate and affirm their positive identity.    Copyright 1998 by Search Institute, 700 S. Third St., Suite 210, Minneapolis, MN 55415; 800-888-7828:  www.searchinstitute.org.

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