c ommitted to empowering learners of all ages to take an active role in improving their communities...

Committed to empowering learners of all ages to

take an active role in improving their communities© Copyright IGESL – All rights reserved

Creating A Strong Foundation for Youth

2009 Missouri Service-Learning ConferenceOctober 5-6, 2009

Communities Under Construction

Joan Lennon Liptrot

http://www.igesl.org/newsite/index.html


© Copyright IGESL – All rights reserved

Asked by his teacher to summarize the life of Socrates in four sentences, a student said:

Socrates lived a long time ago.

He was very intelligent.

Socrates gave long speeches.

His listeners poisoned him.

- Anonymous



While Socrates knew a lot about many things…

he apparently didn’t know much about how to:

engage participants,

ignite their passion for learning, or

take advantage of the ways the brain learns best!



What Does It Take?

What helps a young person to grow up to be a healthy,

responsible, successful adult?

1. Each person gets 2-4 note cards

2. Write one idea per card



What Does It Take?3. Use the piece of yarn to make a circle in the

center of your table.

4. Share your cards.

5. As a group divide your cards into 2 groups:

Inside the Circle- things that a person needs in him/herself such as interpersonal competence and planning and decision making skills

Outside of the Circle- things that a young person needs as an influence in his/her life such as family, school, or the community



Developmental Assets

Studies• Beginning in 1989 Search Institute began

surveying students in grades 6-12 in communities across the United States.

• The work continues today in almost every state with hundreds of thousands of youth!

• The assets build on the work and research of people in the area of child and adolescent development, prevention, youth development and resiliency.

Benson,P. , J. Galbraith and P. Espel, What Teens Need to Succeed, Free Spirit Publishing.



Focus of Studies• They focused on why some

kids prevail, not fail.

• What positive factors allow some to beat the odds while others get trapped?

• Why do some get involved in dangerous activities while others lead productive lives?



Findings

• The more a young person has the more likely he/she is to succeed.

• The assets promote outcomes such as doing well in school or having successful peer relationships.

• The more assets a person has the less likely it is that he/she will engage in problem behaviors such as illicit drug use or cutting school.

• They found the effect of assets to be cumulative.



Research shows that assets both promote positive behaviors and attitudes and help protect young people from many different problem behaviors regardless of

» Gender,» Ethnic heritage,» Economic situation, or» Geographic location

2006 Search Institute



There are 40 assets grouped into two

categories.



External Assets• Outer factors that a young person needs as an influence

in his/her life such as family support or the community values youth.



Internal Assets• Items that a person needs in him/herself such as

interpersonal competence and planning and decision making skills



The average 6th through 12th grader surveyed has 18 of the 40 assets.



The Power of Assets to Promote

SUCCEEDS IN SCHOOL

7

19

35

53

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-10Assets

11-20Assets

21-30Assets

31-40Assets

MAINTAINS GOOD HEALTH

25

46

69

88

0

20

40

60

80

100

0-10Assets

11-20Assets

21-30Assets

31-40Assets

Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN



The Power of Assets to Protect

ALCOHOL

53

30

113

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-10Assets

11-20Assets

21-30Assets

31-40Assets

DEPRESSION/SUICIDE

40

25

13

4

05

1015202530354045

0-10Assets

11-20Assets

21-30Assets

31-40Assets

Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN



The higher students current asset levels, the higher their GPA. In addition, the more assets a students reported, the higher their GPA three years later.

Students' asset levels are twice as important in predicting achievement as demographic factors such as gender, family composition, socioeconomic status, or race/ethnicity.

Low-income students who experience more developmental assets appear to be more likely to do well in school than low-income students who do not experience many developmental assets.

Research Reveals:

2003, Insights & Evidence, Search Institute



2 X 2Stand up and find someone

from a different table and discuss this question?

Which assets do you promote and help students develop?



Resiliency



• Take another note card

• Think about what life was like 20 years ago…

• Make a list of all the things young people stressed or worried about every day.

Resiliency



• Take another note card

• Think about what it is like to be a teenager today…

• Make a list of all the things young people stress or worry about every day.

Resiliency



Resilience can be defined as:

the capacity to spring back, rebound, successfully adapt in the face of adversity,

and develop social and academic competence despite exposure to severe stress…

even the stress of everyday life.



Young people have specific developmental needs:

Safety

Love Respect Accomplishment

Power

Meaning

Adapted from “Fostering Resiliency in Kids: Factors n Family, School, and Community” by Bonnie Bennard; Resiliency in Schools: Making it Happen for Students and Educators by Nan Henderson & Mike Milstein; and original Kauai study by E Werner



Provided with the following environmental strategies:

Caring and Supportive Relationships

High Expectations Opportunities to Participate Life Skills Development Clear Consistent Boundaries




Social Competence Problem Solving Skills Autonomy – Opportunities for

Mastery & Self Awareness Bright Future – Belief in Self, Hope, Goals

We can expect the following

youth outcomes:




RICCO

• Relationships• Independence• Competence• Creativity• Optimism

Bouncing Back- Strengthening Resilience Through Service Learning, National Dropout Prevention Center, Marty Duckenfield, Sam Drew, & Rebecca Flood, 2008



Picture this!

Create a picture or symbol that represents

the concept of resiliency



Does service learning promote developmental

assets or develop resiliency in

youth?



As you watch this project profile identify Assets being developed or

Resiliency traits being strengthened.



Assets and resilience are traits and behaviors that youth can learn and

practice in school, and which can help achieve success beyond the

classroom!



So, What can you do to help others

understand the how service learning builds a strong foundation for youth?

Be specific.Give an example.



“… public education does not serve a public.

It creates a public.”

Neil Postman

Final Thoughts/Reflections



Have a great day!

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www.igesl.org

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