Funder: The Thrive Foundation for Youth, W.T. Grant Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Campbell Family Foundation
Purpose: Search Institute worked with leading researchers at Tufts University, Stanford University, and Fuller Theological Seminary to break new ground in defining and measuring “thriving” among young people. The project explored questions such as:
- What are the key dimensions of thriving that describe such young people?
- How can one tell if a young person is thriving?
- How might thriving indicators be different for young people in different contexts?
Status: The following publications have been released or are in press:
- Benson, P. L., & Scales, P. C. (2009). “The Definition and Measurement of Thriving in Adolescence.” Journal of Positive Psychology.
- Benson, P. L. (2008). Sparks! How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- King, P. E., Dowling, E. M., Mueller, R. A., White, K., Schultz, W., Osborn, P., Dickerson, E., Bobeck, D. L., Lerner, R. M., Benson, P. L., & Scales, P. C. (2005). “Thriving in Adolescence: The Voices of Youth-Serving Practitioners, Parents, and Early and Late Adolescents.: Journal of Early Adolescence, 25, 94–112.
- Scales, P. C., & Benson, P. L. (2005). “Adolescence and Thriving.” In C. B. Fisher & R. M. Lerner, Eds., Encyclopedia of Applied Developmental Science, vol. I (pp. 15–19). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
- Scales, P. C., Benson, P. L., Leffert, N., & Blyth, D. A. (2000). “Contribution of Developmental Assets to the Prediction of Thriving among Adolescents.” Applied Developmental Science, 4, 27–46.
Duration: 2003–2006
