What you need to know — ASAP
Much like a parent/guardian, communities help shape, nurture and raise our children. Furthermore, the culture within the community sets the tone for how youth see themselves within a broader context. Are their voices being heard, do we ask for their input, do we view them as gifts that will help carry us into the future?
Unfortunately, in our current culture many youth do not know any adults outside their own family, they are nameless faces in their own neighborhoods, recipients of well-intentioned “programs” without any input in their content or design, unsupervised for too many hours each day, and excluded from the community decision making process.
This is not to say communities are not trying to make a difference in young people’s lives. Despite the often heroic efforts of educators, parents, youth workers and social service agencies only 22 percent of young people, ages 11-18, perceive that adults in their community value their opinions and input according to Search Institute surveys.
Taking a look at the disconnect between what communities are trying to provide youth and what youth actually perceive is the first step in creating a much needed cultural change. Search Institute has identified Community Values Youth as asset number seven of the 40 Developmental Assets, the values, experiences, and qualities that help kids succeed.
The types of changes it would take to envelop ALL youth, regardless of their backgrounds, skills, abilities, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, or other differences into supportive, attentive, and caring communities, are not difficult or even time consuming? The promotion of healthy communities demands new vocabularies, new insight, and a new lens through which we see youth. No longer should our language be about “fixing” young people’s problems instead we must become proficient at naming their strengths, and talents. We must shift our energy from “at risk” youth to all youth for the reality is that all young people need as many of the 40 Developmental Assets as we can provide. We must work to create opportunities for intergenerational relationships including youth bonding with multiple adults, and adolescents bonding with younger children. Imagine what a gift it would be if every six year old had at least one fifteen year old who took an interest in them, played with them and treated them as though they were important.
Our present culture is a formula for disaster for we define youth as lacking knowledge, skills or useful capacities and in turn they are dismissed as too young, or too irresponsible to be involved in our communities. This has created a generation of young people who think of themselves as useless, and it has deprived them of the experiences necessary to become a responsible contributor. Furthermore at the age of eighteen we place great expectations on these same youth to make substantial contributions without having provided them the knowledge base to do so. Change is necessary and begins with the individuals within our communities. I invite youth and adults, parents/guardians, neighbors, professionals, and everyday citizens to be the change we so desperately need.
With the spirit of community that already exists in the lives of us all and the intentional shift toward cultural change we will begin the venture toward a hopeful journey that will inevitably shift the energy from deficient communities to thriving communities.
“Want to know more about the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit www.search-institute.org/assets.
This article was brought to you by Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention. For more information about ASAP and 40 Developmental Assets contact Allison Heidorn, project assistant at 540-6772 or visit www.asapcoalition.com.
