Research on Thriving and Sparks

Search Institute has been studying thriving since 1990—our most recent research, since 2003, has also included studying the core marker of thriving called “sparks.” This research has been supported by funding from the Thrive Foundation for Youth, W.T. Grant Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Campbell Family Foundation, and the Best Buy Children’s Foundation.

Thriving Indicators Project

From 2003-2006, 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. Studies were conducted with youth development professionals, adolescents, and parents to define thriving and explore the relation of developmental assets and thriving, among other topics. Initial development was done on what became the Thriving Orientation Survey.
Read more about the Indicators Project

Thriving Orientation Survey

This survey was piloted with a sample of about 140 11-18 year old youth participating in YMCA programs in Nashville, TN. It was then revised and field tested with about 2,000 middle and high school students in the Medina, OH public schools. A factor analysis of the results showed support for 15 distinct factors that together measure the full concept of thriving. Briefer versions of surveys that will separately measure sparks and the other factors are being developed so that schools, youth organizations, and others can modularize their approach to gathering data around sparks and thriving.

National Promises Study

With support from the America’s Promise Alliance, Search Institute worked with Child Trends and The Gallup Organization in 2005 to conduct a national study of about 6,000 12-17 year olds, parents of 12-17 year olds, and 6-11 year olds. The study gathered information such as whether young people experienced sparks, and how much support they had to develop their sparks.

Internet Bulletin Board Discussion

With the market research firm Just Kid, Inc., we designed a three-day long internet-based bulletin board discussion among teenagers on the subject of thriving. About 405 teenagers aged 15-17 participated. They were identified from a national internet database of adolescents through an online screening survey we developed to roughly segment participants into those who, on the basis of a brief screening survey, appeared to have a supportive environment for thriving (those who were connected to after-school programs, close to their families, knew non-family adults they trust, and so on), and those appearing to have less supportive environments. The moderated discussion gathered extensive qualitative information about how young people described their “sparks,” how their environments help them or discourage them from thriving, what they personally sacrifice in order to pursue their sparks, how one can tell if a teenager is thriving, and numerous other topics related to thriving. These data enable deep thematic exploration of thriving in young people’s own words.

Brief Online Quantitative Survey

Search Institute also worked with Harris Interactive, a division of the Louis Harris polling firm, to design a 12-question quantitative survey on thriving. A national sample of more than 1,000 11-17 year olds drawn from an ongoing online panel participated. This survey provided data on issues such as how often young people experience and get to express their sparks, how much specific life contexts—-family, friends, school, congregation, youth organizations, neighbors, and so on—-help them develop their sparks, whether young people perceive themselves as being on the way to a happy and successful future, and whether they feel a sense of purpose in their lives.

National @15 Online Study

With support from the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, Search Institute conducted an extensive online study of national sample of 15 year olds, focusing on the extent and nature of their sparks, how peers and adults support or discourage pursuit of their sparks, and resources they have available for developing their sparks. A Teen Voice Index and Relationships and Opportunities Index were specially created for this study. The study found that teens with multiple sparks did better on various outcomes than teens with one spark, and that teens who experienced all three factors—-Sparks, Teen Voice, and Relationships and Opportunities-—were developmentally better off than the other teens.

Other Research Publications on Thriving and Sparks