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Visit our website: www.dekalbcountykeys.org |
The KEYS to the Future |
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AUGUST 2008 |
Volume 1, Number 4 |
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Subject: Asset 4 – Caring Neighborhood
Reach out to those around you
Do you remember coming home from school and running through the neighborhood at a thundering speed, playing catch with your pals, and having a last-minute pizza dinner with your best friend’s family? Past generations have enjoyed much more freedom and safety than young people today. In a bygone era, if you got hurt, in trouble, or lost near your home, you felt safe because you knew your neighbors and had only to turn to one of them for help or reassurance. It’s important for the well-being of young people and society to reach out to one another and get to know neighbors. Caring Neighborhood is Asset 4 of Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, the qualities, experiences, and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible.
Here are the facts
Research shows that young people are more likely to grow up healthy if they live in a community with caring neighbors. About 40% of young people ages 11-18 report that they have caring neighbors, according to Search Institute surveys. In DeKalb County communities, that figure is 37%. The key is to create a safe haven in which young people feel loved, supported, and understood.
Tips for building this asset
Friendships and trust only develop when people take risks by acknowledging their neighbors, getting to know them, and taking time to form relationships. How well do you know your neighbors? Do you know their names? Get to know those who live around you. Begin by greeting your neighbors when you see them outside. With a little effort, you’ll get to know the young people you live near and they’ll get to know you. See the story below for a local example of how this is occurring.
Also try this
In your home and family: Encourage your child to get to know the people in y our neighborhood by being a role model. Walk through the neighborhood as a family. Organize a potluck, cookout, or block party with your neighbors.
In your neighborhood and community: Meet with a neighborhood group or start a small group if one doesn’t exist. Do activities together, such as creating a community garden or forming a “welcome wagon” of youth and adults to greet new residents.
In your school or youth program: Create a magazine or book about local history. To do so, ask students or participants to interview some of the older neighbors and collect their stories, just as the youth in the Liberty Park neighborhood of DeKalb did.
A caring adult in the Liberty Park neighborhood, Liz Carney has been working with young people in her neighborhood to produce a “newspaper” about neighbors, events, and other news. The newspaper, The Liberty Park Reporter, produced its first issue the end of July, and delivered a copy of their paper to the Daily Chronicle.
The staff of The
Reporter with Chronicle Marketing Director Susan Springer.
The Reporter includes a story about the Cubs and White Sox, unusual bugs, neighborhood happenings, and a fictional story by Zoe. The paper staff includes Howie, Nate, Andrew, Zoe, Taylor, Madison, Shanteya, and Malik. They think they live in the nicest neighborhood in DeKalb and they wanted to learn more about their neighbors and neighborhood. They hope to have one more issue yet this summer, and will interview someone interesting in the area for that issue.
This month’s issue included an interview with Mr. Duncan, who told stories of growing up on a farm, working as a mortician, and serving in the Army.
Liz is truly an Asset Builder! And these young people are a part of a very Caring Neighborhood. If you have a story of building assets in our area, please contact us (via the website link above) and tell us about it. We would love to share your story with our readers!
Host a KEYS presentation
The KEYS Initiative Steering Committee is always willing to present more information on the 40 Developmental Assets and how you can help build Assets with our youth! Contact us at the website above to schedule a presentation to your group or organization.
Want to know more about Search Institute’s other seven asset categories or the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit www.search-institute.org/assets.
------------------------- Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.
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