Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth:

The Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.

External Assets:
                  Category         Asset Name and Definition

                  Support           Family support-Family life provides high levels of love and 
                                            support. 
                                            Positive family communication-Young person and her or
                                            his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is 
                                            willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).
                                            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        Community values youth-Young person perceives that
                                             adults in the community value youth.
                                             Youth as resources-Young people are given youthful
                                              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, at school, and
                                             in the neighborhood.

        Boundaries &           Family boundaries-Family has clear rules and
        Expectations            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
                                             responsible behavior.
                                             High expectations-Both parent(s) and teachers encourage
                                             the young person to do well. 
                                             
           Constructive         Creative activities-Young person spends three or more
           Use of Time           theater, or other acts. 
                                            Youth programs-Young person spends three or more
                                             hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at
                                             school and/or in the community.
                                             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           Achievement motivation-Young person is motivated to 
           to Learning             do well in school.
                                              School engagement-Young person is actively engaged
                                              Homework-Young person reports doing at least one hour
                                              of homework every school day.
                                              Bonding to school-Young person cares about her or his
                                              school.
                                              Reading for pleasure-Young person reads for pleasure
                                              three or more hours per week.

           Positive                   Caring-Young person is motivated to do well in school.
           Values                     Equality and social justice-Young person places high
                                             value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and 
                                             poverty.  
                                             Integrity-Young person acts on convictions and stands   
                                             up for her or his beliefs.
                                             Honesty-Young person "tells the truth even when it
                                             is not easy."
                                             Responsibility-Young person accepts and takes
                                             personal responsibility.
                                             Restraint-Young person believes it is important not to
                                             be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.

            Social                     Planning and decision making-Young person knows
     Competencies            how to plan ahead and make choices.
                                             Interpersonal competence-Young person has 
                                             empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
                                             Cultural competence-Young person has knowledge of and
                                             comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic
                                             backgrounds.    
                                             Resistance skills-Young person can resist negative peer
                                             pressure and dangerous situations.
                                             Peaceful conflict resolution-Young person seeks to
                                             resolve conflict nonviolently.

             Positive                 Personal power-Young person feels he or she has
             Identity                  control over "things that happen to me."
                                             Self-esteem-Young person reports having a high
                                             self-esteem. 
                                             Sense of power-Young person reports that "my life
                                             has a purpose."
                                             Positive view of personal future-Young person is
                                             optimistic about her or his personal future.