WEEK 1 - FULL

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week's Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Strength-Oriented Action
    
   This week’s readings focus on the importance of the ‘culture shift’ that needs to take place in our communities in order to begin an asset building initiative. Using your critical thinking skills, respond to the following questions:
   
   • What do the terms ‘strength message’ and ‘strength-oriented action’ mean?
   • What evidence do you see of this concept played out in your local school or organizational setting?
   • What about in your community?
   • What do you see as the predominant role of adults in your community? Are they more focused on strength or risk and deficits? Do they provide relationships and programs, or just programs?
   
   Include two or three specific actions that you consistently practice, or could immediately incorporate into your daily routine, to support a “strength-oriented action” culture. If you get stuck, you may want to refer to the “Ask Yourself These Questions First” on Tip Sheet #1 located in the required reading for the week.
     
   Guided Response: Respond to at least two peers with specific feedback on their observations and their selected actions. Make suggestions for resources that you have seen or read about in other communities that might work or could be easily incorporated in their setting. 
    
2. Developmental Assets 
    
   As stated in the required resources for this week, the Search Institute has identified 40 Developmental Assets or “building blocks” of healthy development for young people. These have been broken down in to eight broad categories, and then identified as external or internal values.
   
   First, using the US Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder(http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml),Pew Research Center (http://pewresearch.org/), and the National Center for Education Statistics(http://nces.ed.gov/) websites, write a short descriptive narrative that identifies the general demographic characteristics of your community based on the latest census. Include items such as average income, household size, and other interesting facts that help paint an accurate picture of your community and schools in relation to the 40 Developmental Assets.
   
   Next, create a table that identifies the eight categories of human development, summarizes the importance of the asset to the development of all youth, and identify at least one existing organization or support model in your community where students can experience this asset. Post your narrative and table in your initial post.
   
   *Note: We will revisit and build on this table in Week Four.

First Steps

Write a two- to three-page analysis of your community and the existing programs for youth within this community using the following guidelines:

1. Using your research from the U.S. Census Bureau’sAmerican Fact Finder, Pew Research Center, and theNational Center for Education Statistics, create an info-graphic picture of your community to support your written analysis. Embed the info-graphic picture into your analysis as a chart illustrating the written analysis. Your info-graphic and analysis should illustrate those statistics that have direct bearing on the 40 Developmental Assets identified by the Search Institute which can include, but are not limited to:
   • Population demographics, including ethnicity and special populations
   • Economic status
   • Housing and household demographics
     
     
2. Summarize youth-related issues that seem to be at the forefront of your community. Use specific examples to support your observations (newspaper headlines, community meetings, political platforms, etc.) and cite your text when appropriate.
   
   
3. In support of your written analysis, create and embed a table that identifies the resources for young people that already exist in your community. Your table should include:
   • The name of the program
   • A short description of the program’s mission
   • An analysis how the program engages with the youth they serve (Are they partners with adults?)
   • Summarize which of the 40 Developmental Assets the program focuses on or attempts to meet with their program

Conclude your analysis by brainstorming ideas on how you can plug into one or more of the existing programs using the Asset Building Framework. Focus specifically on where you can make an impact in strengthening relationships within families, among peers, within schools and other institutions, in programs and outside of programs, and across generations. Your analysis must be two to three pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages), double spaced, and be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Two references, charts, and tables should be properly cited. Your info-graphic and analysis will be used in your Final Paper and presentation.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Required Resources

1. Read from your text, Assets in Action: A Handbook for Making Communities Better Places to Grow Up:
   
   • Introduction – The Vision for Asset-Building Communities
• Chapter 1 – Beginning the Process of Change
• Chapter 2 – Getting Started: What Needs to Happen First
   
2. Read from your text, Quick-Start Guide to Building Assets in Your Prevention Program:
   
   • Pages 2-11
      
3. Glogster. Retrieved from http://www.glogster.com/
   • Glogster is a tool for creating introduction activity. Glogster is a free web based postering and presentation tool that allows its users to embed or share their creations in other formats. 
      
4. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/
   • The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
      
5. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/
   • This is a public data bank for information regarding trends shaping the global perspective.
      
6. Prezi. Retrieved from http://prezi.com
   • Prezi is a tool for creating introduction activity. This is a free web-based presentation tool that allows its users to embed or share their creations in other formats such as slideshows, web pages, etc.
      
7. U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). American Fact Finder. Retrieved from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
• This is the U.S. Census Department website for demographic, community information, and household information

1. CHEVAL99. (2011, December 30). Step-by-Step Tutorial on Prezi Basics Prezi Learn Center [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEc5w9g0pPc
   
   
2. FastCompany. (2011). The 5 best free tools for making slick infographics. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1749649/5-infographics-tools-for-business
   • This is a resource for researching and creating infographics.
      
3. Google Chart Tools. Retrieved from http://code.google.com/apis/chart/
   • This site contains free graphing and charting tools to use in the development of infographic images.
      
4. Inspiredtoserve. (2009). AssetReview [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPY67eea5h4&feature=youtu.be
   • This is the Asset Video introduction.  
      
5. Newlearninguk. (2009). Glogster in 90 Seconds [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvC47fUANLk&feature=youtu.be
   • This video provides support for using Glogster.
      
6. Search Institute. Retrieved from http://www.search-institute.org/
   • The Search Institutes website with includes additional resources.
      
7. TEDxTalks. (2011). Peter Benson- Sparks: How Youth Thrive [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqzUHcW58Us&feature=youtu.be
   • This video is presented at TEDx by the founder of the Search Institute.
      
8. Visual.ly. Retrieved from http://visual.ly/ 
   
   
9. Yrysdaulet Zhautikov. (2013, April 6). Why the Best Prezis Use Grouping and Layering [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_W4tGUQHoo