Building assets in children is not a project or program. It is a journey that should take place during the developmental years (ages 0-20) of all children.
Great Kids of Allen County 

Read the definitions of the 40 Developmental Assets and the research behind this revolutionary concept here.




 

Building Assets in Allen County Youth

Now that you've read the 40 Developmental Assets, here are some suggestions of ways to build assets in youth, right here in Allen County. Some of these ideas can be done anywhere, but some come from resources we have available right here!

Support

1. Family Support

  • Eat one meal together every day
  • Give hugs
  • Tell your children you love them using body language and voice tone

2. Positive Family Communication

  • Spend one on one time with each of your children
  • Ask your child's opinion
  • Be willing to listen to what your children have to say

3. Other adult relationships

  • Get to know the youth in the neighborhood
  • Invite your children's friends along on outings with your family
  • Encourage your child to get to know your neighbors

4. Caring neighborhood

  • Get to know your neighbors, start a block party or a neighborhood children's day
  • Work to make your neighborhood safer- does it have a neighborhood watch program?
  • Recruit adults to monitor the local bus stop

5. Caring school climate

  • Bring the assets to your child's teacher. Tell them what you are doing to build assets in your child and ask them to help.
  • Ask your child how they feel about school. If he/she mentions certain people who have had a positive impact, write a thank you note to them. People are more likely to repeat their efforts if they feel appreciated.
  • Get to know the principal, and ask about ways you can volunteer at the school.

6. Parent involvement in schooling

  • Go to PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences
  • Monitor homework time to make sure your child understands and completes his/her homework.
  • Call your child's teacher to "check in" once a month

Empowerment

7. Community values youth

  • Inquire about the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council - would your child be interested in attending (available in both Fort Wayne and New Haven)
  • Attend civic events with your child - like swearing in ceremonies of elected officials
  • Have your child get to know your community liaison officer ( there is one in every community - you can call the police station to find out who it is)
  • Investigate the Allen County Sheriff's Cadet Program - your child could learn the basics of what it takes to be a member of the Sheriff's Department, and then be able to put some of those skills into practice

8. Youth as resources

  • Does your church have committees? Could/Do youth serve on them?
  • Ask your child to teach you something
  • Get your child and your family involved in a service program
  • Get your middle and high school students involved in the Allen County United Youth Summit

9. Service to others

  • Find volunteer opportunities for your child to get involved in - like the Anti-Graffiti Network offered by the Youth Service Bureau
  • Role model for your children the value of serving others - you could volunteer in your church's nursery, or clean up garbage at a community lot
  • Praise your children when they do something for others, and point out the value of their activity

10. Safety

  • Do not tolerate hurtful words or actions at home - no hitting, no cursing at others, no "put downs"
  • Know where your children are, and let them know you know
  • Organize adults to monitor children's walks home from school or the bus stop
  • Be a person your children can tell if they do not feel safe
  • Monitor your child's computer usage, and do not allow "stranger chats"

Boundaries and Expectations

11. Family boundaries

  • Children are not allowed to go out without telling parent(s) where they are going and who they are going to be with
  • All members of the family know the "house rules" and understand the consequences of breaking rules
  • Consequences are consistently enforced, no "bargaining"

12. School boundaries

  • Support the school if your child receives a consequence at school, talk to them about their actions. Call a meeting with the teacher if necessary
  • Know the school rules
  • Tell your children your expectations for their behavior in "want's" instead of "don'ts"

13. Neighborhood boundaries 

  • Do not allow your children to walk on the neighbors' lawns or trespass in their backyards. Talk to your children about the importance of boundaries.
  • Talk with your neighbors and encourage them to tell you if your child is acting inappropriately. Pledge to do the same for their children.
  • Set up a neighborhood watch program with your neighborhood association.

14. Adult role models

  • Remember that parents are always the child's first and most important role model. Would you want your children doing what you are doing?
  • Volunteer with a youth group
  • Talk to your child about your own role model(s) and encourage them to discuss theirs

15. Positive peer influence

  • Have your children's friends over your house
  • Get to know your children's friends' parents
  • Talk to your child about their friends. Do THEY think their friends are a good influence?

16. High expectations 

  • Communicate your expectations for your children, based on their developmental level.
  • Hold children accountable for their actions
  • Praise your child when they accomplish something, learn something new, etc.

Constructive Use of Time

17. Creative activities

  • There are free programs in the community your child can get involved in - try United Hispanic Americans art or violin program
  • Check our your child's school band - is there an instrument your child would like to play?
  • Encourage practice on the instrument of their choice - even if this means going to the church to practice piano

18. Youth programs

  • Ask your child what their interests are, and find out if the school has a program to accommodate them
  • What about Boy/Girl Scouts, Science Olympiad, etc?
  • Some churches and other groups have scholarships for students who want to attend their athletic programs but parents can't afford the cost - if you don't ask, you won't receive! Try Upward Sports, for children ages kindergaren through 8th grade.

19. Religious community

  • Role model - go to church/synagogue/mosque with your child
  • Encourage your child to get involved with your church's youth group
  • Most middle and high schools in Allen County have Youth for Christ chapters- check them out, or have your child go to the PrimeTime Center

20. Time at home

  • Schedule "family nights," making home a fun place to be
  • Limit the amount your child "goes out" and be firm about the limit
  • If your child has a job, limit them to 15-hours a week

Commitment to Learning

21. Achievement motivation

  • Learn with your child - get involved in what your child is learn, read the same books, etc.
  • Making learning fun - take you child on educational field trips, like to the Court House
  • Communicate that you value learning and want your child to value learning

22. School engagement

  • Create a routine of having your child tell you something they learned in school every day
  • Help your child stay alert in school by setting reasonable bed times and providing nutritious meals
  • Stay in contact with your child's school

23. Homework

  • Set aside time after school for your child to complete homework - with no television on, no phone calls allowed, etc.
  • Monitor your child's homework
  • Limit overall TV watching (no more than 2 hours daily)

24. Bonding to school

  • Help your child think about school as a good place to be, even if you yourself did not have a positive school experience
  • Encourage your child to talk about their day at school, and ask about things they like about the school
  • Monitor for bullying and talk to the school immediately if you believe your child is being bullied

25. Reading for pleasure

  • Role model - get into a consistent reading habit
  • Use the public library and help your child obtain a library card (get one yourself if you don't have one). The Allen County Public Library has branches throughout the County, and you can even order books from another librar to be delivered to your local branch
  • Keep books and magazines around the house

Positive Values

26. Caring 

  • Use words of caring around the home, and with your extended family and friends. Encourage your child to do the same.
  • Role-model for your child by taking soup to a sick friend, or a cake to an elderly relative
  • Encourage children to complete acts of caring -sending cards, telling others they care for them, etc.

27. Equality and social justice

  • Attend civic events outside your comfort level - this might mean visiting the African-American History Museum, attending a Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, the Pride Festival, or Greek Fest
  • Do not allow your children to engage in hate speech or use derogatory language
  • Volunteer at a shelter or food bank.

28. Integrity

  • Talk to your children about your beliefs
  • Encourage your children to "talk the talk and walk the walk"
  • Point out people of integrity in the community to your children

29. Honesty

  • Encourage honesty, even if it means telling that they did something wrong - enforce consequences for lying about an action
  • Don't overreact to lying. Ask them if they think you believe them right now.
  • Point out dishonesty in the media.

30. Responsibility

  • Give your child a list of chores to complete weekly
  • Teach your child new responsibilities and make sure they understand how to do them before being responsible for completing them
  • Don't "Rescue" a child who forgets to complete a chore- for example, a child who doesn't put dirty clothes in the laundry basket will eventually run out of clean clothing

31. Restraint

  • Role model - are there drugs in your home? Does your family engage in binge drinking, or promiscuous sex?
  • Talk with your children about the choices they make - tell them the value of not engaging in sex drugs and alcohol.
  • Encourage your child to talk to you or call home if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, without worry of being punished.
  • Encourage your school to have True Life Choices, an abstinence-based program in Allen County, come teach in your child's classroom

Social Competencies

32. Planning and decision-making

  • Give your child the responsibility for planning and completing a family meal or outing.
  • Allow for mistakes - don't blow up at your child.
  • Model choice and decision making - like by making a list of ‘pro's' and ‘con's'

33. Interpersonal competence

  • Practice having conversations with your child
  • Invite people over for dinner. Encourage your child to be a part of the conversation
  • Talk with your child about how they might know what sort of mood someone was in

34. Cultural competence

  • Learn about another culture with your child. Experiment with different foods, dress, language, etc. to help your child appreciate that culture
  • Attend diverse events in the community, Greek Fest, German Fest, Fiesta Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Pride, etc.
  • Check yourself and your family for subtle racist thoughts and attitudes.

35. Resistance skills

  • Practice with your child saying "no" to peer pressure, involve other children in your family/neighbors in the role play
  • Get to know your children's friends
  • Explain the difference between assertiveness and aggression to your children

36. Peaceful conflict resolution 

  • Teach your children to use "I- statements" when talking to others when they have a conflict or disagreement
  • Practice conflicting-solving techniques in your own home.
  • Point out how aggression and violence negatively impacts relationships to your children.

Positive Identity

37. Personal Power

  • Discourage "victim mentality" in your child
  • Encourage child to engage in problem solving, and solicit his or her advice in decision making in the home
  • Express confidence in your child's ability
  • Have your child participare in one of the Fort Wayne Women's Bureau "RadKids" programs or attend the Girls' Guide for Getting Ready for College

38. Self-esteem

  • Tell your children things you like about them
  • Encourage your children to identify things they are good at, including sports, arts, caring for others, etc.
  • Treat your children with respect

39. Sense of purpose

  • Encourage your child to become involved in activities of interest to them
  • Tour places where your child has career interests
  • Talk to your child about purpose

40. Positive view of personal future 

  • Spend time with your child
  • Encourage your child to dream about his or her future
  • Point out positives in the community that point to hope in the future

Do you notice that some of these cross over? That's because Assets build on each other! By working on one asset, you are likely building MULTIPLE assets in a young person!

Have more ideas on ways to build assets? We want to hear them! Contact us.