neighbors

This is quite interesting, and I would love some feedback or ideas on how to move forward on this:

Yesterday, at Youth Group, I asked my students to fill out a survey and rate their personal "growth assets." The survey was comprised of 40 statements such as, "My family provides high levels of love and support," "I have a role in the community that is important," and, "My best friends are good role models of responsible living."

These 40 statements were taken directly from The Search Institute's "40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents," which can be viewed here. There's some really interesting research accompanying these assets, and I would encourage you to read around the site. This survey was given out, without requesting a name, in hopes of better tailoring our ministry to meet students where they're hurting. It's part of our new series: Christ came not only that we might have life, but that we would have life in abundance. We're looking at specific growth-level aspects of Christian living to better enrich our lives.

Through all of this, I hope to grow the unity of the youth group so they begin to view each other as their most important assets in improving their lives. It's some pretty exciting stuff, and I can't wait to see what God's doing in/through/with it! Pray for us.

I did some very basic correlation this morning on the overall tenor of the youth group's responses. I asked each student to give each statement a rank of 1-5, with these designations: 1:Not Present; 2:Sometimes; 3:Half the time; 4:Often; 5:Always.

To get a basic feel, I averaged the responses from the students and keyed in on the particular assets that received an average score of less than 3. Here are those 12 assets, with their average score:

2. I communicate well with my family, and I seek advice from my family. (2.85)
4. I have caring neighbors who live near me. (1.92)
5. My school provides a caring, encouraging environment. (2.53)
7. I think adults in this community value me. (2.61)
8. I have a role in the community that is important. (2.15)
9. I serve in the community for one or more hours per week. (2.23)
13. My neighbors take responsibility for my behavior. (1.15)
18.I spend three or more hours per week in sports, clubs or other organizations. (2.77)
20. I spend less than two nights per week just hanging out with friends with "nothing to do." (2.69)
23. I spend at least one hour doing homework every day. (2.30)
24. I like my school. (2.30)
25. I spend three or more hours per week reading for enjoyment. (2.46)

These responses interested me! The two lowest ranked assets dealt with neighbors. Some of the next lowest assets dealt with community involvement and perceived community perception.

Now, I think that if we desire to cultivate healthy youth, we need to be looking to the community to be stepping into a larger role in the youth's lives. And so, I'm batting around ways that these trends can be changed.

Already at OTTS, we're taking some steps to reverse a few negative stereotypes. We've started a skate club (which features the only indoor skate-park in Merrill, so we're set for the winter) which will take part in community work projects and service opportunities to try and reverse the "skater" prejudice.

We're also hoping to open a community soup kitchen staffed by students to serve the needy in Merrill.

I'm throwing around some ideas in my mind, as well. OTTS Garage is sponsoring the morning program, "Parenting Your Teenager," on the local Christian radio station, 89Q. We're hoping to host some parenting classes; we could also host classes on "Being a Neighbor to a Teenager."

Whatever the case, I'm looking for ideas to increase positive extrafamilial community and adult influences in students lives. The more creative, the better! If you have any ideas, please shoot me an email, or a Facebook message, or just post as a comment here. Also, please reference your friends to this blog for this; I'd love to get some input!