Developmental
assets, as defined by Search Institute of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, are the positive things that young people
need in order to grow up to be healthy, caring, and
responsible adults. Research has shown that the more
assets young people have, the more likely they are to
engage in positive behaviors (i.e. volunteering or doing
well in school) and the less likely they will engage
in at-risk behaviors (alcohol use or violence). These
40 developmental assets fall into eight different categories:
support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive
use of time, commitment to learning, positive values,
social competencies, and positive identity.
Religious
awards programs are uniquely designed to build assets
in children and youth. Of course, the primary goal of
religious awards is to help children grow stronger in
faith, but a secondary goal is to help families and
faith communities build assets in children.
When
young people work alongside counselors, mentors, and
religious leaders, and when parents are encouraged to
share their faith with their children, the religious
awards programs are helping provide the SUPPORT mechanisms
in their lives.
When
young people design service projects for their congregations
and take active roles in reaching out to their communities,
the religious awards programs are contributing to youth
EMPOWERMENT.
When
counselors, mentors, religious leaders, and scouting
leaders have high expectations for young people and
take the opportunity to talk about respect, obedience,
and not only how people should behave but WHY, the religious
awards programs are helping instill BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS.
When
young people do independent work at home, attend worship
services and youth group, and do volunteer service projects
for their community, the religious awards programs are
helping them make CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME.
When
young people are motivated to earn an award, the religious
awards programs are strengthening their COMMITMENT TO
LEARNING.
When
young people articulate their faith and embrace the
values of honesty, responsibility, and restraint, the
religious awards programs are nurturing POSITIVE VALUES.
When
young people talk about choices and learn how their
faith impacts their choices, the religious awards programs
are improving their SOCIAL COMPETENCIES.
When
young people are brought up within a faith community
and are valued members of that faith community, the
religious awards programs are strengthening their POSITIVE
IDENTITY.
The
religious awards programs are excellent tools to help
young people connect the values that they learn in Girl
Scouting with the values taught by their faith community.
They are also tools that congregations can use to help
build assets in children and youth. Take the time to
learn about the religious awards programs. Your children
and young people will benefit!
For
more information on Search Institute, visit their web
site at:
http://www.search-institute.org/
