The purpose of this survey was to find out why some young people have an easy time of growing up, and some struggle. Many of the answers to these questions focus on problems, or deficits in their lives. The Search Institute wanted to focus on the answers that would help kids prevail, not fail. What they found they called assets.
Assets are the positive factors that empower youth.
The good thing about assets is that they are cumulative, the more assets that young people have, the less likely they are to struggle, and the more likely they are to succeed. There's something else that sets assets apart . They focus on the good things that young people have going for them, as opposed to many of the negative things that you hear about on the local, state, and national news. Whenever you see them, look at them and greet them by name. Pay attention to young people instead of ignoring them.