Giving Leeds youth a voice…

1. Giving Leeds youth a voice… What matters to youth from grades 7 - 12

2. Developmental Assets: A Profile of Our Youth Leeds County Schools Grades 7 -12 Search Institute Profile of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviours

3. Athens DHS Brockville CIVS Gananoque SS Rideau DHS Thousand Islands SS Commonwealth PS Lyn/Tincap PS Prince of Wales PS Toniata PS Westminster PS Participating schools

4. Who was surveyed • Randomly selected grade 7-12 students: 1107 • Gender: Females 576 Males523

5. Breakdown by grades • Grade 7 96 • Grade 8 123 • Grade 9 287 • Grade 10 220 • Grade 11 201 • Grade 12 177 • Total **1107**

6. Leeds county profile 4% 21 % 25% 49%

7. Our community profile 4% 22 % 35% 49%

8. A visual comparison?? L & G Leeds Note the significant differences!!

9. We believe that….. …young people are valuable resources

10. Investigating our community profileWhat did the survey show??? Percentage of Youth reporting each specific asset… How do our youth see themselves and their world???

11. External assets…. • SUPPORT young people with care and attention. • EMPOWER them to use their abilities to help others. • Set reasonable BOUNDARIES AND have high EXPECTATIONS. • Help them find activities that make CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF their TIME.

12. SUPPORT young people with care and attention. #1 –Family support 65% 65% #2 – Positive family communication 29% 31% #3 – Other adult relationships 43% 41% #4 – Caring neighbourhood 37% 36% #5 – Caring School climate 28% 26% #6 – Parent involvement in schooling 20% 20%

13. EMPOWER them to use their abilities to help others. # 7 - Community Values Youth 18% 18% # 8 – Youth as resources 24% 23% # 9 – Service to others 51% 49% # 10 – Safety 49% 51%

14. Set reasonable BOUNDARIES AND have high EXPECTATIONS. #11 – Family boundaries 35% 34% # 12 – School boundaries 40% 39% # 13 – Neighbourhood boundaries 38% 39% # 14 – Adult role models 23% 23% # 15 Positive peer influence 48% 48% # 16 – High expectations 44% 43%

15. Help them find activities that make CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF their time. # 17 – Creative activities 16% 16% # 18 – Youth programs 58% 57% # 19 – Religious community 24% 24% # 20 – Time at home 49% 50%

16. Internal assets • Spark their COMMITMENT TO LEARNING. • Guide them toward a life based on POSITIVE VALUES. • Help the develop SOCIAL COMPETENCIES and life skills. • Celebrate their uniqueness and affirm their POSITIVE IDENTITY.

17. Spark their COMMITMENT TO LEARNING. # 21 - Achievement motivation 58% 58% # 22 - School engagement 55% 54% # 23 - Homework 35% 36% # 24 – Bonding to school 58% 55% # 25 – Reading for pleasure 28% 28%

18. Guide them toward a life based on POSITIVE VALUES. # 26 – Caring 44% 42% # 27 – Equality and social justice 46% 45% # 28 – Integrity 66% 65% # 29 – Honesty 65% 65% # 30 – Responsibility 57% 58% # 31 – Restraint 23% 23%

19. Help the develop SOCIAL COMPETENCIES and life skills. # 32 – Planning and decision-making 25% 25% # 33 – Interpersonal competence 42% 39% # 34 – Cultural competence 35% 33% # 35 – Resistance skills 35% 35% # 36 - Peaceful conflict resolution 38% 38%

20. Celebrate their uniqueness and affirm their POSITIVE IDENTITY. # 37 – Personal power 40% 40% # 38 – Self-esteem 44% 44% # 39 – Sense of purpose 60% 59% # 40 – Positive view of personal future 75% 74%

21. Average # assets/ community 17.9 17.8

22. Asset profile by grade …. 16.7 17.7 16.3 18.9 17.6 16.4 14.6 17.9 18.9 17.1 17.1 16.2 15.0 16.3 Leeds & Grenville Counties combined data

23. Why assets are important… They do make a difference in the lives of young people They are the keys to success The following information is based on data from both Leeds and Grenville counties.

24. Thriving behaviours • School success • Informal helping • Valuing diversity • Maintaining good health • Exhibiting leadership • Resisting danger • Impulse control • Overcoming adversity

25. The Survey shows the connection between thriving (+) behaviours and the number of assets a youth has… # Of + B e h a v i o u r s

26. Alcohol use Binge drinking Smoking Smokeless tobacco Inhalants Marijuana Other illicit drugs Drinking and driving Riding with a driver who has been drinking Sexual intercourse Shoplifting Vandalism Trouble with police Hitting someone Hurting someone Use of a weapon Group fighting Carrying a weapon for protection Threatening physical harm Skipping school Gambling Eating disorders Depression Attempted suicide High Risk behaviours(24 -- Identified by the survey )

27. The Survey shows the connection between high risk behaviours and the number of assets a youth has… # Of High Risk B e h a v i o u r s

28. From awareness to action… Regardless of town size or geography, youth typically: • Receive too little support through sustained and positive intergenerational relationships • Lack opportunities for leadership and involvement • Disengage from youth-serving programs in the community • Experience inconsistent and unarticulated boundaries • Feel disconnected from their community • Miss the formation of social competencies and positive values

29. So what??? • We will continue to see too many young people who are susceptible to risk taking and negative pressure, drawn to less desirable sources of belonging, and ill-equipped to become the next generation of parents, workers, leaders, and citizens. • What needs to change??

30. What needs to change?? • Refocus emphasis of well-intentioned youth development programs from attacking the consequences of asset depletion • To placing energy into rebuilding the asset foundation for youth Ultimately, rebuilding and strengthening the developmental infrastructure in a community is not a program run by professionals. It is a ……

31. …movement That creates a community-wide sense of common purpose, places residents and their leaders on the same team moving in the same direction, and creates a culture in which all residents are expected, by virtue of their membership in the community, to promote the positive development of youth. Developmental Assets: A profile of youth in Leeds& Grenville Survey Report, Search Institute

32. Promoting Developmental Assets Assets are cumulative or additive The more the better Research shows the more assets, the less likely to participate in risk taking behaviours and more likely to be involved in thriving behaviours

33. PRINCIPLES • All children and youth need assets. • Relationships are key. • Everyone can build assets. • Building assets is an ongoing process. • Asset building requires consistent messages. • Duplication and repetition are good and important.

34. Taking Action • Establish long-term goals and perspective • Mobilize the public • Think intergenerationally • Expand the reach of family education • Support and expand current asset-building efforts • Strengthen socializing systems • Empower youth to contribute • Elevate the importance of service • Provide places to grow • Advocate for quality opportunities for young people • Begin public dialogue Developmental Assets: A profile of youth in Leeds& Grenville Survey Report, Search Institute