Walking Your Talk: Building Assets in Organizations That Serve Youth

• NCJ Number: 202397
• Author(s): Neal Starkman
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 178 pages
• Sale Source: Search Institute
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Overview Text; Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This book provides guidance for youth-serving organizations in the building of organizational assets that contribute to the building of personal assets in youth that are components of healthy personal growth.

Abstract

As used in this book, "developmental assets" refer to "positive relationships, experiences, values, attitudes, and attributes that contribute to healthy personal growth." Based on the literature of human development, the book distinguishes between "external assets," which are structures, relationships, and activities that create a positive environment for youth, and "internal assets," which consist of values, skills, and beliefs that youth need in order to make a positive contribution to their world. One chapter of the book summarizes what young people have told the author about what they want from organizations and individuals with whom they interact. This chapter also discusses "changing the rules" for adult-youth interactions such that mentoring occurs. This is followed by a chapter that describes what is involved in building an organization's assets, an endeavor that often requires systemic, normative change. It emphasizes the importance of empowering youth to fully participate in organizational activities and describes the nature of promising activities. An organization is guided through its initial vision, then to its mission and philosophy, and finally to how the philosophy is translated into goals and implemented. Staffing and the monitoring of staff efforts are identified as the keys to building organizational assets. Another chapter reviews what youth are doing to build their assets. In many cases this process has been served through youth-serving organizations that have formed partnerships with other community organizations and families. A chapter then provides tools to help organizations build assets with the youth they serve. Questions are posed whose answers will guide the organization in this effort. 11 figures and a subject index