One of the exciting, though challenging, aspects of launching a healthy community initiative is that asset building is not just another chorus in a well-known tune. Asset building challenges assumptions and the ways communities typically work. Keeping the following principles in mind will help guide a local effort toward its vision.
1. Engage people from throughout the community
Because the asset-building vision calls for community-wide responsibility for youth, involving many different stakeholders is important from the outset. A mixture of motivated citizens and their leaders provides an important balance. Many communities have developed “vision teams” with representatives from all sectors (schools, government, law enforcement, congregations, service agencies, business, health care) along with young people, parents, and other residents, including senior persons and people from various racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
2. Start with a positive vision
The typical community-wide effort is initiated because of a crisis. Too often, however, these initiatives deal with the immediate crisis but do not have the energy or vision to sustain them. A positive vision can energize a community for the long term. It can also help groups lay aside political and ideological agendas to work together because of their shared commitment to the well-being of children and adolescents.
3. Build on quality information.
Many communities find that a survey of young people can be an important catalyst for creative and sustained action. Quality information gives people a shared reference point for reflecting on the needs, realities, and resources in the community as they shape their vision for the future. Otherwise, you risk shaping a vision and agenda that do not adequately capture the needs, issues, and possibilities in the community for children and adolescents.
4. Resist the temptation to create new programs
Because most responses to youth issues in recent decades have been programmatic, intentional energy will be needed to avoid simply developing another program to respond to a specific need. The most important tasks for the “vision bearers” for asset building are to keep the vision of a healthy community alive and prompt individuals and institutions to discover ways that they can integrate asset building into their own mission and commitments.
5. Take time to motivate and educate
Because asset building represents a new way of thinking about communities and youth, it is important not to assume that everyone automatically understands the framework and its implications. Unless people internalize the many dimensions of the asset framework, asset building risks becoming a shallow campaign to “be nice to kids.” Repeating key messages about assets lays a foundation for a more thoughtful, well-rounded response.
6. Celebrate commitments and successes
Asset building is a long-term vision, not a quick fix. But as communities embark on this journey, it is important to notice, celebrate, and talk about the landmarks along the way—the new awareness of young people, the shifts in conversations, the shared enthusiasm and commitments. These stories renew energy and refocus commitment.
7. Embrace innovations from the community
Once people are aligned with the vision of asset building, their creativity in finding ways to nurture assets can be startling. Encouraging this innovation is key to breaking out of old patterns and discovering fresh approaches to rebuilding community for kids.
8. Network with other communities
While many communities have begun asset-building initiatives, the vision is only in its infancy. No one knows all the answers, and no one knows how everything will work. But each community is learning something new each day. Network with others. Share stories and ideas. Explore challenges. Together, we will learn what works—and doesn’t work—to bring the vision closer to reality.
