Two-and-a-half years ago at the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) in Anaheim, California, staff wanted to find a way to make asset building more present in their everyday lives–both in and out of the learning center. They needed something small and something that would not be time consuming; this is how they came up with the idea of wallet cards.
“One of the Search Institute staff suggested we have a discussion about how we could make a personal commitment in attitude and personal growth,” says Gyla Bell, Program Director at TWLC. The staff got together a number of times and brainstormed “I will” statements about things they would do in their own lives when interacting with young people. “I will say good morning, good afternoon and good evening,” “I will respect all students’ values and ideas,” and “I will get to know at least 10 students, their names, and career interests,” are just a few of the many commitments written on the wallet cards.
The wallet cards are great for a number of reasons. It does not take much time to read what is on the cards–it only takes going to the grocery store or buying gas to pull out the wallet and be reminded of the simple yet important pledges written on the card. They are continual–they do not just remind people once and then stop. Instead they will always be there to prompt action. They are a great tool that can be brought from place to place, spread around, and replicated inexpensively.
“You can basically keep the wallet card on you at all times,” says Bell. “It can go beyond the walls of the learning center, at home, in another organization, you always have it, it’s readily available. And if it’s in a wallet card size, you can share it with other people. It can be given as a gift.” What better gift to give than handing out bite-sized ideas about what people can do to reach out to young people around them?
Gyla Bell, Program Director at TWLC, can be reached by phone at (714) 765-8040 and by email at gbell@twlc.org.
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