40 Assets

I was part of a team of faculty presenting some information on the 40 Assets to several youth service organizations (YMCA; Douglas County Juvenile Services; Southwest Area Health Education Center/Mercy Medical Center; several schools; and other assorted interested individuals). The 40 Assets area strategy for helping communities and individuals think in terms of helping young people build on their strengths and the strengths of their community. The Search Institute (go ahead, google them…) has developed a list of 40 Assets that can help young people succeed. Half of them are internal assets and the other half are external assets. I have been involved in helping move the various non-profit youth serving agencies in our county towards using the 40 Asset framework for talking about and strategizing ways of helping children and young people succeed.
It was an amazing day of networking and connecting with people from these county groups that are all primarily interested in helping kids succeed – not just in school, but in life.
There are numerous places for churches to connect with these 40 Assets. But the primary way I have used this framework is to secure a place at the table with other agencies for faith groups.
Helping students succeed is a huge undertaking. Making a difference in even one young person’s life can and will make an impact for the Kingdom of God.