“What’s the matter with kids today?,” indignantly sings Harry McAfee, the befuddled dad in the 1960 musical, “Bye Bye Birdie.”

In 2012, Harry would ask instead “What matters for kids today?,” reflecting the growing sense that something important is missing in the lives of our young people. And what’s missing, youth services experts say, can lead to devastating and life-long effects on individuals and their communities.

Austin, like cities and towns across the nation, sees youths who struggle with family conflict, homelessness, substance abuse, early parenthood and crime. In this back-to-school issue, Forefront Austin looks at how Central Texas strives to provide what matters for kids so that they can overcome these very grown-up problems.

Increasingly, youth development professionals, including those in Austin, are looking to a common-sense approach that uses the 40 Developmental Assets®, a list of personal characteristics, relationships, experiences and opportunities that help young people grow into caring, responsible and successful adults.

Developed by the Search Institute of Minneapolis, Minn., and implemented in more than 60 nations around the world, the Assets “uniquely focus on the whole environment of a young person and focus on the positives we want to promote,” said Peter Scales, a Search Institute developmental psychologist, researcher, author and speaker. He said research proves that the more Assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in risky behaviors, and the more likely they are to achieve academic success, increase civic engagement and make positive life choices.

The Assets are grouped as “External” which speak to family/adult support, school climate, communication and involvement in school/church/club activities; and ”Internal,” addressing desirable personal characteristics such as motivation, integrity, restraint and caring. There are 20 each.

Search Institute research shows that regardless of gender, ethnicity, economic situation, or geographic location, the Assets promote positive behaviors and attitudes, and give young people strength to make positive choices. Disappointingly, Dr. Scales said that fewer than half of American teens experience the 40 Assets in their day-to-day lives — a fact that’s surprising since the Assets advocate ”common sense” actions such as the 25 Assets listed in the adjacent graphic.

Easy, right? And family-centered too. Dr. Scales said any parent, relative, teacher or family friend can make a difference in a young person’s life with just a few of these Asset-based activities.

But a beauty of the Developmental Assets is that they’re also adaptable to the work of organizations. In Austin, the Assets are at the core of services provided by two organizations that serve young people — LifeWorks that annually offers a continuum of counseling, education and housing services to 10,000 Austinites, and The First Tee of Greater Austin which provides learning facilities and youth educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

LifeWorks

LifeWorks’ Peg Gavin, Director of Youth Development calls the Assets ”a tapestry of support” and ”a framework for understanding what kids need.” She is an Assets fan because they don’t need huge budgets to implement and they’re adaptable to the programs and goals of any youth-oriented group.

Gavin said there is no ”typical” LifeWorks client. Each has unique circumstances, although homelessness and pregnancy are common, as is being ill-prepared for eventual independent living. Using the Assets framework, she said, ”allows us to see a day-to-day change in how kids view themselves and in how they treat others.”

LifeWorks’ use of the Developmental Assets framework has allowed it to build a strong Youth Development program. Gavin said. ”We have a reputation of adaptability. When there’s a new problem or challenge, we’ll figure out how to handle it!”

Focusing on kids’ everyday life is critical, and she cited five Assets as most powerful in supporting a young person’s development:

• Provide at least one caring, supportive adult who is fiercely committed to their success.
• Ensure that youth are engaged in positive, safe, structured, and supervised activities during out-of-school time.
• Encourage youth’s commitment to learning and a desire to do well in school.
• Help youth develop social and emotional skills that promote ”emotional intelligence,” a critical factor for success in developing positive, productive relationships as adults.
• Encourage hope and a sense of possibility.

The Assets framework is especially helpful in LifeWorks’ efforts with assisting young people who are transitioning out of foster care. Gavin explained that many of them have had a revolving door of adults in their lives, leaving them feeling alone and rudderless. ”Through the Assets framework, we know that everyone deserves at least one person who is fiercely committed to his or her success,” she said, ”and most of these kids have not had that caring adult.”

LifeWorks’ response is ACTS — After Care Transitional Services — in which agency staff helps young people between the ages of 18 and 21 make that leap to independent living. ”We are there for every step. We help them establish a home, get a job, access health care, manage money, and plan for the future,” Gavin said. ”For many of these kids, we’re that caring adult who’s been missing in their lives.”

The First Tee of Greater Austin

The First Tee of Greater Austin is also committed to the Asset model. The organization works with more than 5,000 girls and boys ages 11 through 17. Year-round programming is offered at the Harvey Penick Golf Campus and multiple satellite locations throughout Austin; through the National School Program in Manor ISD; and a pilot program that will begin this fall in Round Rock ISD.

The First Tee Director Jennifer MacCurrach said the local organization led the way among The First Tee chapters worldwide in adopting the Assets more than a dozen years ago. ”We saw that we needed a curriculum beyond teaching golf skills, and the Assets met our needs seamlessly — and in a way that’s fun for kids,” she said.

The Assets support the organization’s Core Values or ”outcomes” of The First Tee experience — honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. The First Tee kids may not know that they’re learning self-reliance when they practice a putt, MacCurrach said, but golf is unique among sports in developing the Developmental Asset of self-esteem. ”In golf, it’s all about you. The self-satisfaction is tremendous when you’re successful; and challenges are there when you’re not. Kids get it, and we see that self-discipline here on the golf course evolves into self-discipline in other areas of their lives.”

The First Tee is very committed to a key Developmental Asset — having responsible, caring adults in the young golfers’ lives. Volunteers are always needed — as golf mentors and ”just life mentors,” MacCurrach said. She’s also planning to begin a regular parent forum to share information and discuss The First Tee program — another Asset at work.

The First Tee success is measured by the success of its young golfers, both on and off the golf course, MacCurrach said. Parents frequently report changes in kids’ attitude and behavior. Participants have played golf competitively in high school and college, but the lessons learned on the course have also translated to academic and career success.

”Many of these kids can now envision a higher level of success than they foresaw before joining The First Tee,” she said. And that is Asset Number 40: Positive View of Personal Future.