Youth as Resources - February Asset of the Month

YOUTH AS RESOURCES

Young people are given useful roles in the community.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Silicon Valley  develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Youth as Resources

People of all ages want to feel that that they make a contribution and play a meaningful role in their community, whether at home, at school, or in the neighborhood. Research shows that youth who feel valued and useful have higher self-esteem, a greater sense of personal control, reduced delinquency, greater social and personal responsibility, reduced substance abuse, and better social skills.

Most youth in Silicon Valley don’t feel that they have opportunities to contribute to their community. In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, only 53% of 4th- 6th graders and 35% of 7th-12th graders reported that they are given useful roles. To help address this  problem, February is Youth as Resources month in Silicon Valley. This asset focuses on including youth in decisions that affect them and creating participation and leadership opportunities where their contribution makes a difference.

The following discussions can help youth recognize opportunities to serve as resources

· What would you like to share with adults about your experiences in your home, school, neighborhood or faith community?

· Who are some adults that you could talk to about making positive changes?

· How will you know when these changes happen?

· How would you like to be recognized for your contribution?

Keep in mind that serving as a resource doesn’t have to be a large effort. Adults can help youth serve as resources simply by asking them to share their opinions, skills, or knowledge, such as how to play a game or use technology such as text messaging. Remember, it’s important that young people’s efforts be recognized and celebrated! Be sure to create opportunities to show that you value each individual’s unique contributions.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.  

Activities

For families

· Hold family meetings. For example, one meeting can focus on discussing which kinds of tasks each household member is best at and enjoys the most. Then, review everyone’s current chores and make changes based on each other’s skills and interests.

· Involve children in planning events such as holiday celebrations or trips. For family events, young people can help plan menus and cook, or plan games and activities for younger children; for vacations, they can research destinations and activities.

· Ask children what they do or don’t like about their daily routines, and find ways to improve them.

For all adults

· Ask a young person to teach you something new—a game, a hobby, a computer skill, etc.—or to share their favorite music or YouTube videos with you. It’s empowering to be able to introduce adults something that they don’t already know.

· Ask a young person for advice on solving a challenge or completing a task. You’d be surprised at the quality of suggestions you receive.

· Be sure to notice young people’s contributions and talents in every aspect of their lives.

· Help a young person find age-appropriate opportunities to serve as resources in their community. For example, many cities and towns have a youth advisory committee or other group of young people who provide input regarding issues affecting youth.

For adults who work directly with youth

· Does your organization allow young people to sit on boards and committees that affect its mission and programs? Including youth input at the highest levels not only creates valuable opportunities for young people but also helps your organization ensure that it’s in touch with the needs and desires of the youth you serve.

· Be sure to create opportunities for all youth to feel like valuable resources. For example, a county sheriff’s office found that youth with low grades wanted to volunteer in the community as much as better students, but the community rarely asked those underachieving students to contribute. All young people deserve the opportunity to feel that their opinions and contributions are valued.

At school or in youth programs

· Create leadership and contribution opportunities in your classroom or programs. Groups such as student council, playground peace monitors, traffic safety patrol, and others are great ways for young people to feel like their contributions are valued, especially if they have some responsibility in making decisions for the group. In younger grades, classroom responsibilities like line leader help  students feel like their contributions make a difference to the class. Middle and high school students can even help interview new staff and participate in school improvement teams.

· Invite students to share their opinions and suggestions about activities, and incorporate their suggestions in the future. Give young people choices about which activities they take part in.

· Encourage young people to write letters to the editor, to companies, or elected officials to share ideas or express opinions. Help them develop and share constructive suggestions to address their concerns.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults

throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth

development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the

Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or

info@projectcornerstone.org. 

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

January 2018 Asset of the Month-Adult Role Models

Parents and other adults model positive, responsible behavior

Photo by Reverend Steve Waites

When we reflect back on the experiences that shaped us when we  were young, we often remember a special adult in our lives.  It might have been a teacher, coach, older relative, community member,  or other caring adult that made a big impact on us. We see these role  models as being important in shaping our lives. And that’s no surprise—research shows that positive adult role models have a tremendous impact  on young people and can have the following benefits:

• Higher levels of self esteem

• Reduced use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs

• Improved high school graduation rates

• Greater aspirations and expectations for their careers

Unfortunately, many youth in Silicon Valley don’t have the adult role  

models that they need to thrive—in Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, 

only 52% of 4th-6th graders and 30% of 7th-12th graders reported the  presence of positive adult role models in their lives. To help address  this problem, January is Adult Role Model month in Silicon Valley.

A positive role model doesn’t have to have any special skills—you don’t have to be a sports hero or a billionaire for youth to look  up to you. In fact, most youth who said that they had role models  identified them as caring friends and relatives. Every single one of us  has the potential to make a difference in the lives of young people—all that matters is being willing to take the time to get to know a young  person and let them get to know you, and to share your experience and  knowledge. The following discussion topics can help young people  recognize the role models that influence their lives:

• What’s the difference between a hero and a role model?

• Are celebrities like sports stars, actors, and musicians good role models?  

  Why or why not?

• Which adults whom you know do you admire? Why?

• What have you learned from adults that has helped or inspired you?

• What would you like to be able to talk about more with adults?

Activities For all adults

• Make a point of talking about people you admire or who had a  positive influence on you, and why. Ask a young person to do the same.

• Share stories and experiences that reflect positive values, such as  when a friend treated you with honesty or a coworker behaved responsibly.  This can help young people develop a better understanding of their own  values and how to act in different situations.

• Take the time to pass on your special skills. Youth often appreciate the  opportunity to learn new skills, even if they’ve never been exposed  

to them before.

• In conversation, provide opportunities for youth to discuss their  

view of the world.

• Model integrity by following through on any commitments that you make,  especially with young people.

• Demonstrate positive responses to difficult situations, such as offering  a sincere apology when appropriate, or trying again when you fail to 

 achieve a goal. 

 Activities for adults who work  

 directly with youth 

Adults who work with young people are potential role models; it’s up  to you to demonstrate the positive behaviors that will be expected of adults:

• Model hard work, a positive attitude, and respect for others.  Avoid making negative comments about coworkers, sports teams  and players, and others with whom you compare yourself or compete.

• Be sure that you and your staff “walk your talk” by modeling respect  

and trust among coworkers.

At school or in youth programs

• Throughout the month, discuss the importance of role models and  

what qualities are important

• Have youth make a role model collage: First, have participants collect  or create pictures and drawings of their role models. Then, have them cut  out words or phrases that describe these role models from magazines and  newspapers, or write the words or phrases themselves. Finally, glue the  images and words onto construction paper or poster board, and hang the  collage where the youth can be inspired by their creation each day.

• Help youth identify the difference between positive and negative role  models in the media: First, hang two pieces of newsprint or poster board  on the wall. Label one “Positive Role Models” and the other  “Negative Role Models.” Hand out different kinds of recent magazines  and newspapers, including teen, news, sports, and entertainment magazines. Ask youth to cut out pictures of news-makers and celebrities, and tape or glue  the pictures under the appropriate category. Discuss who they chose and why;  whether some of the people could appear in both categories; and how to   

judge whether a celebrity or news-maker is a good role model.

• Discuss ways that the youth can be role models for younger children at  school or in the program, and create opportunities for the older youth to  spend positive time with the younger children, such as reading together or  working together on projects.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s  

Asset-a-Month program.

Project Cornerstone is the Silicon Valley  initiative to train and mobilize  adults countywide to intentionally develop healthy, caring, and responsible  children and youth. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org. 

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

December Asset of the Month - Family Support

FAMILY SUPPORT

Family provides high levels of love and support.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County  develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include  the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Family Support

Family support refers to the ways that parents, siblings, and extended family  show love, encouragement, and comfort to each other families are the  cornerstone of the social support system for youth. A 2011 survey of Santa  

Clara  County youth reveals that while younger youth generally experience  

and are aware  of family support, teenagers do so much less often: 88% of  

4th-6th graders  reported family support, while only 69% of middle- and  

high school  students reported the asset.

Because adolescents require greater autonomy and independence than  younger children, effective family support for older youth takes a different  form than in earlier years; however, their need for their families is still strong.  Adults are challenged to find a balance between giving youth the support  they need to navigate their adolescence and the independence they need  

to develop as individuals.

In their book Parenting Teens with Love and Logic, Foster Cline, M.D.  and Jim Fay discuss the transition from parenting younger children who  typically require guidance and firm limits to parenting adolescents,  who benefit most from the freedom to make their own decisions within  the boundaries of safe, reasonable limits. According to Cline and Fay,  effective parenting in the teenage years requires clearly communicating  expectations and consequences while allowing youth to make their own  decisions and “own” the results…even if their choices are not the ones  

that we would have preferred.

The following discussion topics can be used to open a dialogue with young  people about the ways that they experience family support:

• Does your family provide support in a way that’s meaningful and easy for  you to recognize? Why or why not?

• Do you and your parents treat each other with the same kindness and dignity  that you’d expect from your friends?

• Does your family do things together on a regular basis? Are there any  activities that you’d like to share (or be willing to share) with your family?

One of the most important things to realize about providing family support  to older children is that they need the love and support every bit as much as  younger children do, even if they claim that they don’t. Although it can be  challenging to remain connected to preteens and teenagers, the benefits  

of doing so are immense.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s  

Asset-a-Month program.

For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

The activities below offer a starting point to help build and strengthen the  

asset of family support. 

 For families

• Make family rules together, and agree on rewards for following the  rules and consequences for breaking them.

• Try to eat at least one meal together every day, and set aside at least  one evening or weekend day for the family to spend together in a pastime  that everyone enjoys or finds valuable. Make the effort to maintain  these traditions and rituals even if your children complain about them 

when they’re older.

• Be sure to recognize your children’s unique talents and encourage their  interests, even when they don’t match yours. For example, if they’re  interested in animation, check to see if there’s a convention or film festival  in your region that you can attend together.

• Look your children in the eyes when you talk to them, and give them  all of your attention in conversation.

• Be empathetic about their struggles and concerns no matter how  silly or trivial their problems seem to you, they are  

significant to your children.

• Praise your children for doing a good job and point out when they’re  

being helpful.

• At least once a day, try to express that you appreciate and care  

about your children.

• Be affectionate, but respect their space; older children especially may  be uncomfortable about displays of affection in front of non-family members.

For all adults

• Talk with young people about their families and point out the ways that  the children are supported and loved. Similarly, when you speak with  parents, take time to notice and praise their efforts at providing family 

support for their children.

• If you’re an employer, help your staff provide emotional support  for their families through release time, sick leave, and creating a positive  environment where employees don’t feel that having children is a liability 

 at their job. 

• Sponsor activities and events in which the entire family can participate—for example, a picnic or carnival instead of a happy hour. 

In schools and youth programs

• Deliver a unit on families to help young people appreciate and respect  

all kinds of families.

• Schedule events that bring families together, like open houses or  

family game nights.

• If possible, schedule speakers and workshops on family life and 

associated issues.

• Be sure that your staff recognition and acknowledgement of non-traditional families in which a child’s primary caretakers may not be 

their biological parents.

Resources

• Project Cornerstone’s Take It Personally is a six-week workshop for adults that focuses on ways that parents and all  adults can be more effective and intentional in building assets in young  people’s lives. For information on scheduling Take It Personally at  your site, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482.

• “Family camps” are a great way for families to spend time together in  a relaxing outdoor environment. Check with your city, YMCA, or faith  community to see when family camps are offered.

• Some good books about providing meaningful support to older children  include Parenting Preteens with a Purpose: Navigating the Middle Years  by Kate Thomsen, M.S., C.A.S.; Why Do They Act That Way?  by David Walsh, Ph.D.; How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish; and Parenting at the  

Speed of Teens,  published by Search Institute.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse  community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by  fostering developmental assets. For more information about the  

Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at 

(408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org. 

    

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Positive Cultural Identity - November Asset of the Month

POSITIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY

Young people feel comfortable with and proud of their identity,  including but not limited to disabilities, ethnicity, faith/religion,  family status, gender, language, and sexual orientation.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Silicon Valley develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. 

Please include  the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Positive Cultural Identity

It is important for youth to feel that they belong. Positive identity brings  

self-assurance, a sense of belonging, a positive view of personal future,  

and better success in school.

Developing a positive cultural identity a critical element of  

personal identity can be difficult for young people, especially  when they may be bridging more than one culture.

The way that youth are treated in regard to their ethnicity, religion,  disability, sexual orientation, or gender directly affects their ability  to develop a positive personal identity. 

As adults, it’s critical that we model recognition, understanding,  and celebrating all cultural identities, including the cultures to  which we and/or our children do not belong.

Sharing and celebrating different cultural identities increases self-esteem and promotes cultural competence among all young people. The diversity of Silicon Valley is a benefit to our youth as they are  exposed to many different cultures.

The following discussion topics* can help families talk about their  

cultural identity:

• What is our cultural background?

• What are some things that you value about our culture?

• What are some things about our culture that you would like other  

people to know?

• Do you know anyone who’s from a different culture? In what ways are your cultures similar and different? Do your cultural differences  make it difficult to be friends? How can you share your cultural  differences in a positive, nonjudgmental way?

 *Adapted from the Canadian Child Care Federation’s  

“Supporting Our Children’s Social Well-Being…It’s a Team Effort!” workshop

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org. 

Activities

The activities below provide ways to build 

positive cultural identity in youth.

For families

• Make sure that your children learn the story of where they 

come from, including both family history and the  

history of their heritage, from an early age.

• Even very young children are aware of racial and cultural  

differences among people.

Address the issues of stereotypes, myths, and cultural differences  in a positive, age appropriate manner.

• It’s normal for young people to explore different aspects of personal  identity, including cultural identity. Children, whose parents promote  a positive cultural identity, while allowing them the freedom to explore,  tend to develop a healthy personal identity.

• Some elements of a child’s identity—such as sexual orientation—might not be shared in common with the rest of the family. Parents should make special efforts to ensure that everyone feels  understood, respected, valued, safe, and loved within the family.

For All Adults 

• Serve as a mentor for youth from your culture. They will benefit from learning how to successfully maintain a positive cultural identity from  

someone outside their family.

• Help your children maintain a positive attitude about school, and make sure they know that you will be their advocate to resolve any problems or  challenges that they encounter.

• Adults should be careful to strike a balance between celebrating the youth’s difference and including the youth as part of the group as a whole. Sometimes, focusing too much on a youth’s differences—no matter   

how good the intention—can further isolate youth from their peers.

Photograph by Reverend Steve Waites

In schools and youth programs

• Support home languages as much as possible. Children who are  bilingual in their home language and English tend to maintain a positive  connection with their families and cultural communities.

• All students need to be valued and appreciated for their unique  characteristics regularly. Be aware of the cultural diversity in your  classroom or program, and try to understand its dimensions.

• Make a personal effort to learn about the culture of the youth in your  classroom or program. For example, students from cultures where children  are not expected to ask questions of adults may have difficulty letting you  know when they don’t understand the lesson. Help students understand the  culture of your class or program without devaluing their cultures of origin.

• Young people can discover and share their cultural identity through  lessons and projects that highlight their cultures and experiences while  engaging them in active learning. For example, develop lessons and activities  around the gifts that different cultures have given the world, and discuss how  “cultural borrowing” allows everyone to thrive.

• Sometimes even the most innocent activities can be exclusionary.  For example, celebration of “Crazy Hair Day” may exclude youth whose  religion requires that they cover their heads. Be sure that your planned programs  and activities take everyone’s culture into account.

Resources

• Project Cornerstone’s Los Dichos program provides a literature-based parent engagement curriculum and comprehensive asset-building training in schools throughout Silicon Valley. This program  provides opportunities for parents from different cultures to build positive  cultural identity in their own children and others from the same culture  while building greater cultural competence for the entire class.  For more information, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482.

• Families with multiracial children can face unique challenges in  helping their child develop a positive cultural identity. Many resources  are available online for families to support multiracial children: 

· American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 

 http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/multiracial_children 

· Parenting by Strengths web site 

http://www.parentingbystrengths.com/multiracial_children_and_youth/. 

• Families who have adopted children from other cultures may face 

unique challenges in promoting positive cultural identity.  Several resources exist to support multicultural families, including:

· http://transracial.adoption.com/interracial/racial-cultural-identity.html, which offers parenting tips to help develop  stable, happy children with a strong sense of cultural identity.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help  align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts  to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental  assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program,  contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275