Search Institute

Search Training Special Event: Building Developmental Assets in School Communities Is Coming to Maryland

peterh — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:37:54 -0600

Learn to Deliver a Workshop That Combines Research and Inspiration for Real School Improvement

This two-day Training of Trainers will help build a team of teachers, administrators, and staff to share the assets within your school or community as part of their current job responsibilities. As a result of attending this event, participants will be able to:

successfully organize and facilitate Building Developmental Assets in School Communities, a one-day asset-building workshop for school staff;
accurately and effectively field questions from participants;
reference and recommend resources that will help participants;
gain a deeper understanding of how to create developmentally-rich school communities;
verify 14 hours of training through a certificate of participation.

Reserve Your Seat Now and receive a $25 gift card for the Search Institute Store!

When: February 17-18, 2010
Hosted by St. Mary’s County
Download the flyer

Registration Deadline: February 10, 2010
Download the registration form

Where: Leonardtown, MD
Hosted by St. Mary’s County
23145 Leonard Hall Drive
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Price: $575 per participant (includes handouts and curriculum). Also available for purchase is an optional $450 resource library ($600 value).

Recommended Lodgings:
Executive Inn and Suites
41655 Park Ave, Leonardtown, MD 20650
301.475.3000

LaQuinta Inn and Suites Lexington Park
22769 Three Notch Road, California, MD 20619
301-862 4100

Recommended Airport:
Baltimore Washington International

Questions? Call Search Institute Training at 800-294-4322.

Education Blog

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:14:49 -0600

Nathan Eklund, M.Ed., is a professional speaker and trainer who works with students, teachers, and administrators to seek hopeful solutions to problems in schools.

The Power of Mentoring—Free Tools

gener — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:32:41 -0500

January is National Mentoring Month! Join Search Institute in celebrating mentors all month long with new resources to help you build successful mentoring relationships and programs.

Forming Successful Mentoring Relationships

Mentoring relationships provide young people with a valuable source of support; however, many adults feel reluctant or shy about becoming mentors. The tools below describe the benefits of mentoring and offer effective strategies for developing relationships that make a difference in kids’ lives.

FREE Mentoring Tools and Downloads

Thank a mentor with a special “thank you” e-card

Tools for Mentoring Adolescents
(Developed in cooperation with the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota.)

What’s Working? Tools for Evaluating Your Mentoring Program

Sample handouts from Mentoring for Meaningful Results:

Asset-Building Resources for Mentors

Mentoring for Meaningful Results
The complete guide for mentoring program leaders. Learn how to start and maintain a successful mentoring program in your school, organization, or community.

Activities on the Go
This handy resource contains many ideas for fun one-on-one activities that build relationships between kids and adults.

Conversations on the Go
Conversations are at the core of successful mentoring relationships. Use these ideas to get—and keep—kids talking.

Mentoring and Developmental Assets

Building strong relationships is at the core of both mentoring and building Developmental Assets. Because of this, the assets framework fits seamlessly with a mentoring program, which allows both young people and adults to form and sustain relationships across generations, and is an excellent way to intentionally form connections between kids and adults.

Learn more about Developmental Assets

Mentoring Links

MENTOR
Learn how to become a mentor, start your own program, find resources to improve your program, find information on statewide mentoring partnerships, and read mentoring-related news.

How Was Your Day at School Podcast.

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:14:17 -0600

Search Institute education consultant Nathan Eklund discusses his book on teacher job satisfaction, How Was Your Day at School?

Request a Letter of Support for Grant Applications

andrea — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:44:19 -0500

Search Institute will provide a letter of support to organization or community seeking funding for an asset-building project or initiative. Fill in the requested information below and Search Institute will respond to your request within two business days. If your request is urgent, please call 877-240-7251 for immediate assistance. We will customize your letter of support to meet the needs of your grant application.

Conversation Generator: Fun and Easy Ways to Connect with Kids

jennyb — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:52:10 -0500

If this one doesn't suit you, click the button for more ideas.

For more great ideas, check out the Activity Generator!

Would you like the Conversation Generator on your Web site? Download the Conversation Generator

Featured Publication

For even more conversations, try Conversations on the Go: Clever Questions to Keep Teens and Grown-Ups Talking, a Search Institute Press Publication.

Activity Generator: Fun and Easy Ways Connect with Kids

jennyb — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:45:09 -0500

Are you looking for fun and easy ways to connect with kids? Try the activity below. If this one doesn't suit you, click the button for more ideas.

All activities adapted from Search Institute Press publications. Visit the Search Institute store for more information.

For more great ideas, check out the Conversation Generator!

Would you like the Activity Generator on your Web site? Download the Activity Generator

Featured Publication

For even more activities, try Great Group Games: 175 Boredom-Busting, Zero-Prep Team Builders for All Ages, a Search Institute Press Publication.

Testing Your Memory: An Activity for Use When Introducing Developmental Assets

suzyw — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:37:51 -0600

Training Tip from Jim Conway, Senior Trainer

This simple participatory activity can be used during a presentation of the Developmental Assets to illustrate the importance of the framework as a lens for viewing the experiences of youth within a community. It also provides a way to emphasize that the assets are not a program. I often use the activity at the beginning of my presentation.

Activity Directions
1. Tell participants that in a moment we’re going to review the asset framework, but first we’ll take just 90 seconds to test their memories.
NOTE: You can play this up a bit noting that at this particular moment (mornings, after lunch, etc.) our brains may be a little dull and what we’re going to look at in a moment is really important and you want everyone’s brain as attentive as possible.

2. Ask participants to move around the room and make a mental note of everything they see that is the color red. Tell them that they will have 90 seconds to identify and remember as many things as possible. Explain that they should not write anything down, but simply make a mental note so that they can remember each item later.

3. Answer any questions that participants have and tell them to begin – monitor and announce the time remaining at 30 second intervals. Tell participants not to return to their seats because at the end of 90 seconds you will be testing their memories.

4. When 90 seconds have expired have participants partner up with someone near them and stand facing one another (if you have an odd number you can have one group of three)

5. Ask participants to close their eyes and leave them closed until you ask them to open them. When everyone is ready announce that they are now to share with their partners, without opening their eyes, everything in the room they remember that is the color blue.

There’s usually a moment of surprised moaning and laughter.

6. Give participants a few minutes to share what they can remember and then ask them to open their eyes and return to their regular seats.

7. Process the activity by asking first if folks had a hard time remembering blue stuff and why that was the case. Then make the point that this activity is a simple illustration of the fact that we tend to see what we’re looking for! Point out that the asset framework is primarily a lens, like putting on a pair of glasses that allows us to really see the lives of young people in our communities. Stress again that assets are not a program but “a way of seeing youth.”

A few cautionary notes:
• While I have used this activity with young people, I find that it works best with adults. Young people sometimes focus on “doing it right” and are more prone to actually get upset by the change in color at the end. This is not always the case, however, and I encourage you to try it out with youth to see how it works for you.
• Occasionally I will have someone in the group who is color blind. I find that sometimes they say that they can still distinguish between particular colors or shades. You can check with them to see if that’s the case and structure the activity accordingly if possible. Make sure that in the process you don’t give away the ending. This is rare and I’ve found that those folk are also fine with “sitting it out” and watching the group doing this activity.

Have fun…Hope it adds to your training!

Search Institute Training and Speaking Podcast

dalbright — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:45:56 -0500

Kaija Shaffer, Search Institute’s communications manager, interviews Donna and Tim Duffey of Vision Training Associates.
Visit the Search Institute Training and Speaking Page

Resources for Libraries

peterh — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:33:51 -0600

Building Great Communities…Book by Book

Librarians are doing some of the most important work in positive youth development today. Search Institute Press resources benefit libraries in three ways:

Programming: Our books of activities, games, mentoring tools, and community outreach ideas provide youth program leaders with thousands of ways to reach out to teens. Get sample pages of The Best of Building Assets Together and Great Group Games.

Professional Development: Our research framework of 40 Developmental Assets offers a fresh way of looking at your work with children and teenagers. Learn more about specific ways that libraries can meet these assets by reviewing the download Developmental Assets and Library Connections.

Collection Development: Our books on your shelves serve a wide variety of audiences: professionals and parents, coaches and nurses, teachers and mentors, youth workers, and adult patrons who have caring relationships with youth in your neighborhood. Get sample pages of Parenting at the Speed of Teens, Parenting Preteens with a Purpose, Empowering Youth, Engage Every Parent, and How Was Your Day at School?

Ordering Information

Our books are available from wholesalers nationwide and from Independent Publishers Group (800-888-4741, www.ipgbook.com). If you have any questions, or you’d like a review copy or a Search Institute Press trade catalog, contact Bill Kauffmann, Resource Specialist, at 612-692-5527, or billk@search-institute.org.

To learn more about our publishing program visit Search Institute Press.

Happy Holidays e-card from Search

peterh — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:39:05 -0600

A Season of Appreciation: Holiday Gifts That Make a Difference

jennyb — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:58:01 -0600

Our fun and inspirational publications are the perfect way to show your gratitude. Thank parents by giving them fold-up mini posters to post on the refrigerator. Make a teacher’s job easier with a time-saving activity book such as Great Group Skits.

Whether you’re shopping for a professional or a member of your family, you can find what you’re looking for at Search Institute. Any family member will welcome a copy of Conversations on the Go or Stay Close. And books like Building Character from the Start are great for teachers and program staff.

Save 10%! Visit the Search Institute Store for details.

Gifts for Teachers and Program Staff
Show teachers and staff members that you care with these gifts.

How Was Your Day at School? — Improve your school as a workplace, avoid teacher burnout, and increase retention.

Just When I Needed You — Be inspired by adults who made a difference in the lives of youth.

Great Group Games — Over 175 games to disband cliques and build friendships between students.

View more gifts for teachers and program staff

Gifts for Mentors
Thank a mentor with one of these gifts this holiday season.

Just When I Needed You — Be inspired by adults who made a difference in the lives of youth.

Activities on the Go — These activities help kids and adults connect. And they’re fun!

Take It Personally — Find out how you can build assets in every child’s life in this workbook.

View more gifts for mentors

Gifts for Parents and Families
Any parent or family member will appreciate these thoughtful gifts.

Launching Your Teen into Adulthood — Preparing a teen to enter the adults world is tough. Find insight and help in this book.

Ready, Set, Grow! posters — This growth chart provides helpful tips for fostering a child’s development.

Playful Reading — Learn how to turn your kids’ favorite children’s books into asset-building learning experiences.

View more gifts for parents and families

Take It Personally with Free Facilitator's Guidebook

jennyb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:17:50 -0600

By Jolene Roehlkepartain

An update on the best-selling publication Taking Asset Building Personally, this action-and-reflection workbook contains everything individuals need to make a stronger commitment to building Developmental Assets for children and teenagers.

On your own or in discussion groups, use this guide to help you find:

basic information on Developmental Assets;
tried-and-true tools for reflecting on your opportunities to connect with kids;
fifteen new exercises to help you take action;
even more ideas for building assets with children and youth of all ages.

Ideal for staff meetings, parent groups, volunteer trainings, and community events, this workbook helps people from all walks of life learn about the power they have to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Listen to a podcast about the book
Download sample pages
Read more or purchase the Book

This free, printable facilitator’s guidebook is designed to supplement Take It Personally. If you are a discussion group facilitator, you will the essential exercises and strategies for building assets in this guidebook useful.

Download the Facilitator’s Guidebook

Marilyn Peplau, Trainer

peterh — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:43:05 -0500

Marilyn “Pep” Peplau
Search Institute Trainer
Home State: Wisconsin

Insights with Marilyn

Professional Expertise
Marilyn Peplau is an educator, speaker, consultant, and trainer with expertise in the areas of:

Developmental Assets
Student assistance programs
Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth initiatives
Asset-building practice in communities

Contributions to Search Institute
As a contract trainer for Search Institute, Peplau serves as a speaker, trainer, and training program designer for organizations (especially schools) and communities interested in building Developmental Assets for and with youth, starting a community-wide asset-building initiative, or creating community change on behalf of youth.

Peplau assisted Search Institute in developing the Building Developmental Assets in School Communities training, and Change of Heart school retreat. With a passion for writing, she’s contributed to countless Search Institute resources, including Great Places to Learn, You Have to Live It, Pass It On, and What Young Children Need to Succeed. Your Classroom: Simple Ways to Create a Positive Learning Climate fulfilled her 7th grade English teacher’s prophecy of writing a book(let) some day!

Major Workshops and Training Programs

Trainer at PIPfests, high schools, community, and state youth conferences (more than 500 training events)
Asset-building presenter at Wisconsin State Superintendents’ Conference
Facilitator of CESA workshops on asset building and resiliency
Lead advisor for natural peer helping program.

Awards and Honors

Wisconsin Secondary School Counselor of the Year
Wisconsin Home Economics Association “New Achiever” Award
Wisconsin Home Economics Association Teacher of the Year
Vision Training Associates’ Outstanding Relationship Building Award

Professional History
In addition to her long-term commitment to New Richmond High School and work with Search Institute, Peplau served as a Teaching and Learning Facilitator at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Master of Education program where she:

Proactively guided teachers pursuing a master’s degree in education as they identify, investigate, and transform their beliefs and practices about teaching and learning
Used the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as primary content for the incorporation of best practices and theory as part of individual and community-wide learning experiences
Worked collaboratively and cooperatively to develop training and authentic assessments

Former positions include:

26+ years as a high school classroom teacher and guidance counselor in New Richmond, Wisconsin, school community
Guidance counselor for New Richmond High School, New Richmond, Wisconsin
Family/consumer education teacher, New Richmond, Wisconsin

(She also values her middle school coaching experience and one day as a 2nd grade teacher!)

Professional Activities

Member of CESA #11 Assessment Development Team
Charter Member, School Improvement Management Team
Member, National Center for Research in Vocational Education
Member, University of Minnesota “New Design for Comprehensive High Schools”

Community Activities

5-year leader, New Richmond Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth team
Liaison and columnist for weekly newspaper column on assets
St. Croix County’s American Cancer Society “Relay for Life”
Local United Way Board
New Richmond Area Foundation Executive Board Member

Education

Wisconsin Certification in Guidance and Counseling, grades 6–12, University of Wisconsin—River Falls, Wisconsin
M.S., home economics education, University of Wisconsin—Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin
B.S., home economics education, University of Wisconsin—Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Request Marilyn Peplau for the following trainings by calling Search Institute Training at 800-294-4322 (outside the United States, dial 207-642-6270).

What’s Up with Our Kids?
Everyone’s an Asset Builder
Sharing the Asset Message
Building Developmental Assets in School Communities
Deepening Asset Building in School Communities
Building Developmental Assets in School Communities TOT
Change of Heart: A Student & Staff Asset-Building Retreat (also available as a Training of Trainers event)
Powerful Teaching

Developmental Assets are Free!

andrea — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:29:07 -0600

We have a wealth of resources that won’t cost you a cent!

Free Resource Downloads

Looking for ideas of how to use these resources?

Well, here are some great examples of places utilizing Search Institute’s free asset resources:

Bain Bridge, Georgia A community showcased each asset on DA list on their community website weekly.

Los Alamos Local community newspaper wrote an article about one of the 40 Developmental Assets and how it can help youth make better decisions.

Free Webinars and Podcasts

Check out our Webinar and Podcast Library – updated regularly!
A great way to gather information from Search Institute’s trainings and workshops!

Free Ways to Connect with Youth

Anyone working with or have daily interaction with youth would love this section, because it has clever methods to engage youth & children while also building on their assets.

Example of how Search Institute’s activities are being shared:
5 Minutes For Mom> This online resource for mothers used one of Search Institute’s activities of reading to youth and children, and talks about the importance of reading to youth while making it fun and engaging

Free Research Findings about Assets

This section showcases Search Institute research in various sectors and communities to help you gain a better understanding of assets.

Example of how Search Institute’s research is being used:
Times Reporter> Local Ohio newspaper featured some of Search Institute’s research in their article about Father’s Day.

Free E-newsletters (and archives of all newsletters)

Free Grant-Writing Help

Grant Writing Resources

News Releases

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:01:06 -0600

November-5-2008
Youth Around the World See Spirituality as Important,
Want to Talk About It

A two-year global research project reveals that today’s youth view spirituality as an important part of their lives, though most rarely talk to others about it. Respondents to the far-reaching study, led by Search Institute’s Center for Spiritual Development, included young people from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds, spanning 17 countries and six continents.
Download PDF of the press release
Download the study and other information

October-15-2008
Search Institute’s Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence to Present First Public Release on How Youth View Spiritual Development

On November 5 at a pre-conference event leading into the 12th Annual Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth Conference, the CSD will release the results of a three-year global research project, revealing how today’s youth understand and experience spiritual development in their everyday lives.
Download PDF Learn more about the Center for Spiritual Development

September-30-2008
SPARKS: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers by Peter Benson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Search Institute® and a leading authority on childhood and adolescence, describes a simple yet powerful plan for awakening the spark that lives inside each and every young person.
Download PDF Get the book

September-10-2008
Search Institute®, a national leader in discovering what kids need to succeed, hosts its 12th annual Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth® Conference November 6-8 on the theme Igniting Sparks: Connect to Hope. Conference assemblies, learning sessions, hot topics, and pre-conference seminars will provide learning opportunities for every community and education sector.
Read More Visit the website

June-14-2008
Stay Close—Search Institute Book Offers Creative Solutions for Nurturing Long-Distance Relationships between Adults and the Children They Love
Read more

June-01-2008
The 40 Developmental Assets are the subject of a feature article, Making a Difference Using Developmental Assets, in the June 2008 issue of VOYA. VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) is a bimonthly journal addressing librarians, educators, and other professionals who work with young adults. The only magazine devoted exclusively to the informational needs of teenagers, it was founded in 1978 by librarians and renowned intellectual freedom advocates Dorothy M. Broderick and Mary K. Chelton to identify the social myths that keep us from serving young people and replace them with knowledge.
Download PDF

May-01-2008
Parenting Preteens with a Purpose Friday, May 2, 2008. The article in Gina Chen’s Family Life Notebook column provided information about author Kate Thomsen’s book signing 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Barnes & Noble in DeWitt, NY, and included a quote from the author. The article can be read here.

May-07-2008
Kate Thomsen, M.S., author of Parenting Preteens with a Purpose (Search Institute Press, 9781574821994) will appear on Bridge Street, a local Syracuse, NY, program on ABC affiliate, WSYR Channel 9. Thomsen will be interviewed about her book on May 7. More information…

"School Connectedness" on Capitol Hill

nathane — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:48:22 -0500

I’d like to send a big kudos to Jon Terry, a tireless advocate for positive youth development in Washington D.C. If you like guns, education, oil, and a host of other issues, you’re pretty well represented in Washington. If you’re rallying lawmakers around positive youth development? That’s a little more lonely.

Jon has organized a Capitol Hill briefing next Tuesday centered around the CDC’s report around school connectedness. Search President Peter Benson will be speaking. Lawmakers will be listening. This is a cool day.

Here’s a description on Jon’s blog about the event. We’ll report back on how it goes. Make sure to read the CDC’s report in Jon’s posting. Print it out. Forward it. Distribute it. And if you’re anywhere near Washington, get to the briefing. Call your state representatives and encourage them to go. Write letters in support of positive youth development.

Jon Terry, Search Institute, and all organizations and individuals working to change society’s perceptions about youth can use all the help we can get in raising awareness around the issues we care about the most!

Investing in Good Teachers

nathane — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:11:04 -0500

Thanks to my friend Tim Hatfield from Winona State University who sent me this beautiful article from the Winona Daily News titled, Want to Get Lucky? Invest in Teachers.

The article ends with this fantastic quote that could serve as our Thought for the Day:

As Gladwell would say, it’s not just the toil of genius, but the toil of those who seek to foster genius, that brings us our luck.

The Class Size Quandry

nathane — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:39:38 -0500

It’s always instructive when topics that usually cross our paths in a theoretical way or only in headlines actually enter directly into our own experience. I’m smack dab in the middle of one of those moments right now. My third grader’s school just announced that due to budget cuts his class sizes are increasing to 33 next year.

My reaction to this news is wide and varied. First, going from 31 to 33 is sort of like finding out your car blew up but at least they were able to save the hubcaps. Let’s face it – anything in the 30s is much higher than the ideal.

But my reaction to this runs even deeper. Class size is one of those issues most apt to raise the ire of community members and parents. And rightfully so. But if you read education research for a living (as I do) I’m left pondering whether or not this hand wringing is misplaced.

I think back to this article my Malcolm Gladwell that I blogged about in January. In the article, Gladwell writes the following:

Eric Hanushek, an economist at Stanford, estimates that the students of a very bad teacher will learn, on average, half a year’s worth of material in one school year. The students in the class of a very good teacher will learn a year and a half’s worth of material. That difference amounts to a year’s worth of learning in a single year. Teacher effects dwarf school effects: your child is actually better off in a “bad” school with an excellent teacher than in an excellent school with a bad teacher. Teacher effects are also much stronger than class-size effects. You’d have to cut the average class almost in half to get the same boost that you’d get if you switched from an average teacher to a teacher in the eighty-fifth percentile. And remember that a good teacher costs as much as an average one, whereas halving class size would require that you build twice as many classrooms and hire twice as many teachers.

And there’s plenty more research in the academic realm that supports this claim even further.

I KNOW that, so then why does increasing class size still make my brow furrow? First of all, I taught for 12 years. I know the affect that an overstocked classroom had on my teaching, my relationships with students and the profession, and my overall enjoyment of the work. So this is personal.

I also know that more than anything, I want my boys to have really, really good teachers. Ideally, they’d have really, really good teachers with small class sizes. But I want them mostly to have really, really good teachers. This naturally turns my attention away from my own kids and towards the educator. Lost in this conversation about class size is the horrible toll these increases take on the teacher. There is inevitable decreases in positive self-image as educators struggle to perform their job as well as they’d like. There’s decreased daily energy as managing the classroom takes more and more effort. And there’s decreased ability to create positive relationships with young people – the most pivotal and impactful quality of a great teacher.

So as I personally engage in this conversation as it now affects my own children, I know that there’s more to this conversation than simply my own desires for a small class size. I need to seek a mindfulness between good education policy, school funding, leading research, and strong advocacy for the effective intersections of all the above.

Valentine's e-card. The Greatest Asset Is You!

peterh — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:23:29 -0600

Valentine's e-card. Working together to Build Assets!

peterh — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:30:33 -0600

Soul in the classroom

nathane — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:18:23 -0500

I taught a class last night at the University of Minnesota around the general topic of “spirituality in the classroom.” As usual, it’s always a joy to be around college students who are eager to debate, discuss, and engage. We had some interesting conversation.

I started the class by asking them to list their favorite song, movie, book, band, person in the world, and k-12 teacher. And by favorite, I meant “important.” Not their favorite song they have right now, but the one they’d like played at their funeral. THAT kind of important.

Then I had them look at that list and see if they could create a common denominator amongst the separate items. The answers were enlightening. Here’s a sample of some of the connecting themes:

struggle

compassion

a sense of connectedness to something bigger

general “awesomeness”

The elements of their lives and these significant educators shared the ability to clarify the commonness of the human experience and were elemental in their own personal development. The answers hearkened to that deeper sense of importance that comes with teaching. Perhaps it’s a question of “soul.”

We talked about the fact that overt “spirituality” in the classroom is not only risky, it might be a misplaced use of energy. But we did agree that “soulfulness,” that ability to connect learning to a bigger human experience and sense of connection between people should be at the center of education. Certainly as the students reflected on their own favorite teachers, they saw a common thread of educators who were able to expand education far beyond test preparation or basic academic achievement.

One of the students talked about the need for teachers and students to be present and in the moment. We talked about how little of education is ever about the present. Teachers are mindful of upcoming tests. Students are planning for their next year of school or their future. Teachers are leading from one unit to the next. Students are looking forward to prom. Whatever the case, there is always something next, leaving little room for the luxury of being in the moment.

But it was those educators who were able to transcend that constant forward motion and allow themselves and their students to ponder BIG questions and have BIG ideas that had the most lasting affect.

Whether those are spiritual teachers or not, they’re clearly soulful educators. Educators who are able to take the risk, the time, and the bold leap into this soulful space are the ones who will be cited forever by their students as the real difference makers.

Asset building and PBIS

nathane — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:50:31 -0500

For those of you on the listserve, you probably know that we’ve been working for the past few months to research and guide the potentially powerful links between the assets and PBIS (and RTI amongst others).

This work has finally landed as our next Insights and Evidence which I’m co-authoring with Dr. Pat Seppanen. That means within the next couple of months we’ll release our findings that can help schools across the country better merge these two frameworks.

One of my main tasks is to find examples of schools who are already making this merger so that we have strong narrative pieces to the article. So if you’re one of those leading edge schools who have already moved from theory to practice, I want your story!

I’ve talked to a few schools already, so don’t be surprised if some of you are re-contacted.

Drop me a line if you’re available for a conversation. Search Institute needs YOU!

nathane@search-institute.org

Building Assets—Reducing Risks (BARR)

jennyb — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:32:32 -0600

The BARR Program works!

Created by Angela Jerabek, a licensed school counselor Building Assets—Reducing Risks is a successful prevention program specifically designed for the unique challenges of the 9th grade.

Imagine if your school could:

cut failure rates by 50 percent;
increase 9th grade attendance;
decrease tobacco and drug use.

Built on the Developmental Assets framework, the Building Assets—Reducing Risks program will provide you with training, curriculum, “I-Time” manuals, and ongoing support to empower your 9th grade program to:

implement and sustain the Building Assets—Reducing Risks program in your school;
strengthen school-wide relationships among students and teachers;
increase student engagement in school;
meet No Child Left Behind criteria for academic improvement.

The BARR program can be used to assist in the design and implementation of your SLC (small learning communities) grant!

Lay the Foundation for Success

Ninth grade can be a “make-it-or-break-it” year for many students and schools.
Learn more

Learn more about the BARR Program

Download the BARR Powerpoint Presentation for an overview of the program from a January 27 webinar with Angie Jerabek from St. Louis Park High School.

Schedule an on-site visit to St. Louis Park High School to meet with Angie Jerabek, see the program up close, and talk with teachers and staff experienced in implementing this program. Call 800-294-4322 for pricing and to schedule a date.

Download BARR Samples

View the Minnesota Institute of Public Health Evaluation Report

The research-based and successfully tested Building Assets—Reducing Risks (BARR) program is now available to revolutionize your school and sustain positive results!

Make It Happen for Your Students!

It may be hard to believe, but 10 years ago, 44 percent of all 9th graders at St. Louis Park High School were failing one or more of their classes. By the 2005–2006 school year, less than 21 percent were failing one or more classes.

By implementing the BARR program at your school, you can:

create a close-knit support system for 9th graders;
improve relationships between:
- teachers and students;
- students and their peers;
- teachers and their colleagues.
build mutual respect;
enforce school boundaries;
employ strategies on every level: teachers, staff, students, and parents.

Open Enrollment

Attend an upcoming Search Institute BARR Open Enrollment in 2009, date tbd. The first day of the BARR training will provide a program and philosophical overview. On day two, training attendees will meet on-site at St. Louis Park High School for a demonstration of the program and an opportunity to meet with teachers who are experienced in the BARR program.

Bring the BARR Program & Implementation Training to You

Schools or school districts can bring the BARR Program and Implementation Training to their own site. The BARR training is delivered by Search Institute trainers, a highly acclaimed team of speakers and trainers with a high degree of educational expertise and over 100 years of combined experience. To get more information on this event and other trainings hosted by Search Institute, simply complete the Training Questionnaire or call 800-294-4322.

Check out Search Institute’s training Web site for other open enrollment opportunities in 2009!

Why Baseball Might Be Important

nathane — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:56:42 -0500

For those of you turned off by the over-importance given to sports in our culture, give this post at least a paragraph or two before discarding.

Last night marked one of my favorite days of the year: opening day of Minnesota Twins baseball. An eternal optimist and avid fan, I look forward to opening day because I believe (really) that each year the Twins might win it all. Barring that, I’m happy because I know that opening days marks the beginning of listening to games on the radio while I mow the lawn or sitting with my two sons and my wife at the game, eating hot dogs and having four hours together. What’s not to like?

But this year, baseball might even be important. Frankly, it seems as though our collective default mode has turned to stress and worry. And for good reason. We’re living through a peculiar time, a time that thwaps us on the head and tells us daily that we’re in the midst of something historical and generally scary. From melting polar ice caps to wars abroad to our crippled economy, as soon as we open our brains to a new day, we’ve got a lot to worry about. Give it enough months in this mode, and consternation sort of becomes a daily reality.

So if that’s true, then living life beyond those confines is going to be a choice. Worry is going to find us, so we might have to go find relaxation. Tough times are going to surround us, so we might have to be active in seeking pleasure and release.

That means that what might have once been frivolous can take on increased importance in our experience of these unique times. I think of this when I listen to good music or go for a morning run or spend time with friends or watch my boys play in the backyard. These experiences aren’t luxuries or superfluous. They’re completely critical.

It’s far too easy to think, “With things as they are, how can I take the time to relax?” Or, “I’ve got too much on my mind and too much to do to take the time to hang out with my friends.” Of course, a moment’s pause tells us that it is exactly because things are as they are that we need to increase the quality and amount of these nurturing and fulfilling experiences.

As for me? I’m looking forward to 161 more baseball games and real spring thaw and wearing the base paths bare in my backyard. In “times like these,” how couldn’t I?