This paradigm shifts the language to positive, and emphasizes the mobilization of citizens and socializing systems to a vision that promotes the healthy development of children and adolescents. Search Institute's research on developmental assets began in 1990, with 550 school districts participating through early 1995. Typically, these studies focus on public school students between grades 6 and 12. In all communities, the vast majority of youth lack some or many of these essential developmental building blocks. It is becoming normative or commonplace for children and adolescents to experience too little support, face unclear or inconsistent boundaries, disengage too early from structured programs and organizations, become strangers to adults, lack a sense of importance and belonging, and experience too few opportunities to either receive or give care.
Assets are strongly related to behavioral choices.
Building developmental assets in the lives of children and teenagers necessitates a community-wide initiative in which citizens and their leaders mobilize the caring energy of neighborhoods, families, schools, religious institutions, youth organizations, workplaces and informal relationships to support, connect, empower, value, and nurture their young. A second phase began in 1994 with the launching of healthy community initiatives designed to intentionally reclaim asset-building capacity in informal relationships and organizational life. Replications and extensions are underway in Moorhead, Bemidji, Wayzata, Inver Grove Heights, St. Anthony, Minnetonka, Northfield, Winona, and Austin. Events are planned to network these communities, with the goal of facilitating exchange of innovations. Research on assets among youth in the city of Minneapolis was completed in March, 1995.