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THE PALO ALTO DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS INITIATIVE

Update to Project Safety Net May 23, 2013 Terry Godfrey
www.devassetspaloalto.org [email protected]

This

indicates places where we could use your help

Team
Alicia Gregory Anne Ehresman Becky Beacom Brenda Carrillo Christina Llerena Erika Buck Jenny Jordan Jessica Lewis Linda Lenoir Linda van Gelder MaryAnn Young Monica McHenney Penny Barrett Ray Bacchetti Susan Usman Terry Godfrey YCS Project Cornerstone PAMF PAUSD City, PSN Director YMCA Youth Services Manager, PA Library City, Teen Services PAUSD Parent - Jordan Teen librarian, Mitchell Park Teacher, PreSchool Family Faith Community HRC PTA Council Chair, PA Dev Assets

Mission: Everyone in Palo Alto will be an Asset Builder.

Long Term Goals

1) 2/3* of youth in Palo Alto will have at least 21 assets and none will be "at risk" (i.e. 10 assets) by 2021.
*2010 Survey results 83% of 5th graders 68% of 7th graders 51% of high schoolers

2.) Use the Developmental Assets to achieve transformation in Palo Alto through education, communication and inspiration.

2012-13 Goals
Build assets in our youth
[Focus on Caring Neighborhoods (#4) Community Values Youth (#7) Youth as Resources (#8)]
1.

Inspire community action and commitment

1. Create an elevator pitch about

the Assets.
2. Continue the Asset-of-the-Month

Nurture more caring neighborhoods by encouraging more block parties, events and other interaction. Partner with the YMCA and youth to field a Chili Cook Off team for the 4th of July city competition Model support of our youth by attending the youth events. Meet with the media to continue promoting the concept of youth columnists; target four columns by youth by the end of the school year. Partner with PTAs, schools, and community on Walk & Roll week (or similar event).

2.

campaign.
3. Source/create and distribute

3.

widely materials targeted at different audiences

4. Support the Developmental Assets

4.

goals of our partners.

5.

Progress: Long Term Goals

Next Developmental Assets survey will be administered in Fall 2015. In the meantime we look for signs of change. Grades 9 and 11 reported improved connectedness in the 2011 CHKS survey.

Progress: Build assets in our youth

Launched Caring Neighborhoods Challenge Community-wide contest to encourage neighborhood events in support of Asset #4
Includes funding and planning support, photo contest,

articles/blogs to highlight events

PA Weekly article & subsequent articles to

highlight events Dev Assets website update Community Services Dept & City website

Progress: Build assets in our youth

Launched Caring Neighborhoods Challenge Leveraging Citys Know Your Neighbors grants Block Party Tool Kit 1500 postcards + innumerous fliers distributed Using an intern for further promotion and organization this summer Presented at PAN meeting Commitment from neighborhoods for seed events
Wed love to have more neighborhoods

Progress: Build assets in our youth

Chili Cook Off 2013 will be a team effort with the YMCA
Dev Assets team will focus on Promoting the assets Demonstrating that the community values youth (asset # 7) And using youth as resources (asset # 8) But no actual chili

Chili Cook Off 2012

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Progress: Build assets in our youth

Encourage youth voice in local papers and build youth as resources (asset # 8) Connected with local papers and encouraged them to collaborate with journalism teachers and students to include more youth voice. Anecdotally there are more youth by-lines

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Progress: Inspire community action and commitment

Have designed a brochure about the Dev Assets to

use with different audiences in the community. Will be published this summer.
Created an elevator pitch.
Continuing with the Asset of the Month campaign

by posting the banners and sending out content widely for newsletters, websites, etc.
Updating Facebook (weekly) and Palo Alto Patch

(bi-monthly) with stories.

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Progress: Inspire community action and commitment

Reported to our elected officials Dec 2012 on our

progress with a less than successful call to action to keep Youth in the Citys top 5 priorities list.
Feel free to let the City Council ([email protected])

know that Youth should be top of their priority list

Staffed booths at MLK Day, May Fete, Healthy Kids Fair,

Mothers Symposium.
We have distributed 100+ car magnets, 100+ fridge magnets, 50+

tee shirts and 100s of fliers and brochures with survey results. If you have events in which we could participate, please let us know.

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Whats important
The Developmental Assets approach emphasizes the importance of providing youth with the positive core developmental supports and traits they need from adults, including but not limited to: Caring adult relationships Positive intergenerational family relationships Safety at home, school, and in the neighborhood Clear, consistent boundaries and guidelines Opportunities for participation in constructive activities A commitment to learning Consistent attention to developing positive values Opportunities to serve the needs of others Time to practice and learn planning and decision making skills Opportunities to develop a sense of purpose and goals for the future
From Project Cornerstones Santa Clara County High School Survey Results Package

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What you can do

1. Arrange a neighborhood event this summer.

2. Hire an intern, dog sitter or errand-runner.

3.

1.
2.

3.
4. 5.

Advocate with the City to keep Youth top of mind. And.. Smile and make eye contact with any youth as you go about your day. Assume the best about every youth you encounter. Make a connection with the kids in your neighborhood. Encourage them, with a smile, to do the right thing. Buy what theyre selling even if you dont need it.
They need the positive encounter even if you dont need more cookies.

6. Stop at every lemonade stand (or busker)!

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1. Family Support | Family life provides high levels of love and support. 2. Positive Family Communication | Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and

Assets 1-20

young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents. 3. Other Adult Relationships | Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults. 4. Caring Neighborhood | Young person experiences caring neighbors. 5. Caring School Climate | School provides a caring, encouraging environment. 6. Parent Involvement in Schooling | Parent(s) are actively involved in helping the child succeed in school. 7. Community Values Youth | Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth. 8. Youth as Resources | Young people are given useful roles in the community. 9. Service to Others | Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week. 10.Safety | Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood. 11.Family Boundaries | Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young persons whereabouts. 12.School Boundaries | School provides clear rules and consequences. 13.Neighborhood Boundaries | Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young peoples behavior. 14.Adult Role Models | Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior. 15.Positive Peer Influence | Young person's best friends model responsible behavior. 16.High Expectations | Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well. 17.Creative Activities | Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts. 18.Youth Programs | Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations. SHOW 19.Religious Community | Young person spends one hour or more per week in activities in a religious institution. 20.Time at Home | Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per week.

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Assets 21-41
21.Achievement Motivation | Young person is motivated to do well in school. 22.School Engagement | Young person is actively engaged in learning. 23.Homework | Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day. 24.Bonding to School | Young person cares about her or his school. 25.Reading for Pleasure | Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week. 26.Caring | Young Person places high value on helping other people. 27.Equality and Social Justice | Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing

hunger and poverty. 28.Integrity | Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs. 29.Honesty | Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy." 30.Responsibility | Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility. 31.Restraint | Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs. 32.Planning and Decision Making | Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices. 33.Interpersonal Competence | Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills. 34.Cultural Competence | Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds. 35.Resistance Skills | Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations. 36.Peaceful Conflict Resolution | Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently. 37.Personal Power | Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me." 38.Self-Esteem | Young person reports having a high self-esteem. 39.Sense of Purpose | Young person reports that "my life has a purpose." 40.Positive View of Personal Future | Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future. 41.Positive cultural identity [This one is unique to Santa Clara County.]