Table of Contents >
   Part A. Models for Promoting Community Health and Develop... >
      Chapter 2. Some Other Models for Promoting Community Health ... >
         Section 4. Asset Development >
             Tools & Checklists - A checklist that summarizes the major points contained in the section. >

Asset Development

  

Tools & Checklists

 Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz Edited by Bill Berkowitz

Checklist

 

Here you will find a checklist summarizing the important points of the section.

 

What is asset development?

__ You work to build the 40 developmental assets that will support and enhance the healthy development of children and adolescents in your community.

__ You seek to develop assets that will help youth guard against high-risk behaviors and patterns.

__ You seek to enhance the assets that encourage thriving indicators in youth:

 

What are the characteristics of an asset development program?

__ You seek commitment from the whole community.

__ You create an inclusive, participatory effort.

__ You base your effort on what’s needed in the community.

__ You focus on the positive.

__ You seek a comprehensive, community-wide effort.

 

What are the developmental assets kids need?

__ You are familiar with the 40 developmental assets listed in the section.

 

Why (and why not) should you use an asset development approach?

__ You are familiar with the advantages of an asset-building approach:

·        A strong base in both empirical research and theory.

·        Community ownership and diverse, broad-ranging input stemming from a participatory process.

·        An accent on positive asset development, making youth issues seem more resolvable.

·        The ability of each community to design its own asset-building solutions.

·        The ability to analyze data in numerous ways and by different populations.

·        An emphasis on long-term social change.

·        The capacity to address a broad range of issues.

·        The possibility of increasing community cohesiveness.

·        The emphasis on what’s best for youth leading to what’s best for the community.

 

__ You know the potential disadvantages to the asset development approach:

·        A data base that’s 80% white and all youth for the Search Institute’s 40 assets.

·        No real guidance as to how to develop assets.

·        Community dependence on the Search Institute or CADY to analyze the surveys.

·        Statistical limitations that may make accurate analysis difficult for small communities or schools.

·        The lack of any guarantee that asset development will address current problems. 

·        The question of how necessary assets actually are for eventual success for most youth.

 

How do you use asset development?

__ You find someone to take the initiative (or do it yourself).

__ You form an inclusive, participatory group to introduce the asset development concept and the idea of the survey of developmental assets to the community.

__ You work out the logistics of administering the survey.

__ You implement the survey.

__ You analyze the survey results.

__ You communicate the survey results and analysis to the community.

__ You plan your next steps.

__ You develop an initial action plan.

__ You implement your action plan.

__ You monitor, evaluate, and adjust your plan.

__ You continue to develop, implement, monitor, and adjust action plans, and to maintain the gains you’ve made.