40 Developmental Assets Quiz & Flashcards by Search Institute

Study Notes

Developmental Assets Framework

The Search Institute has identified 40 positive supports and strengths that young people need to succeed in life.

External Assets

Support: Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate, and accept them.
- Family support: Family life provides high levels of love and support.
- Positive family communication: Young person and their parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek parent(s) advice and counsel.
- Other adult relationships: Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.
- Caring neighborhood: Young person experiences caring neighbors.
- Caring school climate: School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
- Parent involvement in schooling: Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
Empowerment: Young people need to feel valued and valuable.
- Community values youth: Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
- Youth as resources: Young people are given useful roles in the community.
- Service to others: Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.
- Safety: Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood.
Boundaries and Expectations: Young people need clear rules, consistent consequences for breaking rules, and encouragement to do their best.
- Family boundaries: Family has clear rules and consequences, and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.
- School boundaries: School provides clear rules and consequences.
- Neighborhood boundaries: Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior.
- Adult role models: Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
- Positive peer influence: Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior.
- High expectations: Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.
Constructive Use of Time: Young people need opportunities—outside of school—to learn and develop new skills and interests with other youth and adults.
- Creative activities: Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
- Youth programs: Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations.
- Religious community: Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
- Time at home: Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do,” two or fewer nights per week.

Internal Assets

Commitment to Learning: Young people need a sense of the lasting importance of learning and a belief in their own abilities.
- Achievement motivation: Young person is motivated to do well in school.
- School engagement: Young person is actively engaged in learning.
- Homework: Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
- Bonding to school: Young person cares about their school.
- Reading for pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
Positive Values: Young people need to develop strong guiding values or principles to help them make healthy life choices.
- Caring: Young person places high value on helping other people.
- Equality and social justice: Young person places a high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
- Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for their beliefs.
- Honesty: Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy.”

Description

Explore the 40 positive supports and strengths identified by the Search Institute that young people need to succeed. Discover the external assets that focus on relationships, opportunities, and the internal assets that foster social-emotional strengths, values, and commitments.