The Earth Book

We haven't read this book yet, but I enjoyed  reading Character Counts' review of the resource:

The Earth Book by Todd Parr is a powerful tool for kids intent on “going green.” With its colorful array of primary pictures, this hardcover offers 10 suggestions, complemented by explanations to validate the tips, about how kids can help the earth.  Read their full review here.

Responsibility is one of the 40 Assets, and environmental responsibility is a great way to start conversations with children.

Baking and School Revolution - The Power of One Small Step

I just stumbled upon this story on Southern Illinois' Asset Coalition website.  I thought you would enjoy reading it too!


Search Institute trainers tell a story about a retired lady who had heard people talk about building assets for years but doubted she could do much since she was older and not always in the best of health. Oh, but she loved to bake.



It occurred to her one day that there was bus stop right outside her house and every day for the past several years a half dozen or so kids would stand outside her house and wait for their bus. It also occurred to her that she didn’t know a single one of their names. But she loved to bake.


So, one day she bakes a batch of cookies, and after almost talking herself out of it several times, she meekly steps out her front door and offers a plate of cookies to the kids waiting for the bus. It was a little weird and awkward, but the kids took the cookies and exchanged timid smiles and a mumbled "thank you" or two. So the next day she was unsure what to do. She didn't know what she should have expected yesterday, but realized it was probably just as weird and awkward for the kids as it was for her. So she made brownies and went out the front door again. This time the smiles were a little bigger and some kids asked her name. In the ten minutes she spent that morning she began to feel that maybe this could turn into something good.


The days and weeks came and went and she continued making treats and soon she knew everybody's name, a little about their families and what they liked and didn't like about school. But one morning her arthritis was hurting bad, so bad she couldn't bake and she really didn't even want to leave the house. So she stayed inside and went back to bed. At the end of the school day after the kids were dropped off, the lady heard some shuffling of feet on her porch. Later, as she opened the front door to check her mail she found a note stuck in the door from the kids letting her know that they hoped she was okay and that they missed seeing her.


After that, she tried to never miss again. It only took a couple more weeks before one of the students asked her if she would ride the bus with them. She asked the bus driver and he said it would be okay and he would bring her home as he finished his route. Within weeks she was also riding on the pick-up route every day and she would help kids with homework and listen to them tell about their school day. One day the bus driver told her that he had not written a single disciplinary slip since she began riding.


She was excited about the connection she had made with her neighborhood kids. Every week at her bridge club and Sunday school class she would telling the other retired ladies about her experiences on the bus. Within months there were over a half dozen other retirees riding busses in other sections of town! Each month another bus stop or two were adopted by a neighborhood retiree. Word spread from the teachers to the Superintendent who took note that since these volunteer bus riders started, school attendance was dramatically improved, grades went up and it was very rare to see a detention or suspension among kids who rode the bus.


A school was revolutionized by a simple act of courage and kindness by a retired lady who saw an opportunity and loved to bake.

PS - If you live near Illinois, contact their Asset Coalition to see how you can get involved - they're doing great work!

True Success - The Opening of Our Principal's Graduation Speech Today

What is Success?



To laugh often and much;


To win the respect of intelligent people


and the affection of children;


To earn the appreciation of honest critics


and endure the betrayal of false friends;


To appreciate beauty;


To find the best in others;


To leave the world a bit better, whether by


a healthy child, a garden patch


or a redeemed social condition;


To know even one life has breathed


easier because you have lived;


This is to have succeeded.


Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pondering Character and Destiny

I love this quote that I stumbled upon long ago...

Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny!

Reflecting on this quote with young people creates a great opportunity to talk about several asset categories, including Positive Values, Empowerment, Social Competencies, Boundaries & Expectations and Positive Identity.  Take time to laugh & bond with youth, but be brave enough to talk about the hard things, the life-changing things, as well!

Celebrate at Sonic!

Surely you can find something fun to celebrate this month!  A great baseball season, perfect attendance, honor roll, a wedding, end of school, an anniversary...

Sonic is offering buy-one-get-one-free shakes anytime (no coupon required) through June 27.

They are also offering single-topping sundaes for 99 cents after 8 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
And there's always Sonic Happy Hour, where drinks are 1/2 off!

Resources for Adults Working with Teens

On Point has put together a great list of articles that help adults understand and nurture teens.  The collection of resources was actually designed for parents, but there are many articles applicable to youth workers and educators as well.  Here's a sampling of the titles you'll find:

1. Helping Your Child Dream Big

2. Teenage Stress
3. Identifying Signs of Teen Depression
4. Sexting: Technology Adds New Risk
5. Dating Violence: Protect Your Child from Abuse
6. Fresh Starts: Building Your Teen's Resiliency
7. Shifting Our Focus from Problems to Strengths
8. Teens: Hardwired to Connect
9. Mean Girls
10. Big Dreams Into Big Vision 

Find more at http://www.liveonpoint.org/.

Building Character Through Athletics

Are you searching for ways to build character through your athletic programs? If so, consider reading "Pursuing Victory With Honor: Arizona Sports Summit Accord Implementation Strategies". It's a PDF document filled with strategies for building character through athletic programming.

Puzzles!

I love word puzzles and riddlers.  I still remember teachers and youth workers using them as kick-offs and icebreakers for meeting times.  They engage brains and call attention to the group's purpose - and they inspire a commitment to learning.  Here's a great site full of puzzlers: 

Online Word Game = Donations to Charity

Play a crossword-like multiple choice word game at http://www.charitii.com/ and donate money to charity for each question you answer correctly.  You get to choose the charity for your donations - see the list here.

**This builds the Commitment to Learning Assets**

Inspiring Readers

Looking for tips to inspire your preteens to read more? Check out this article:
"Is Your Middle Schooler a Reluctant Reader?" by Renee Kirchner. She offers easy and practical ideas, and read on into the comment section to find even more ideas!

**Did you know that "Reading for Pleasure" is one of the 40 Developmental Assets proven to hlep kids thrive?**

Helpful Hints in Dealing With Different Areas Of Conflict

Some people seem to thrive on conflict, but not me! Conflict truly makes me feel like a fish out of water. But it's a part of life in the real world, so I was grateful to find these tips on dealing with conflict. They come from the website of one of our partnering organizations - Tennessee's Community Assistance Corporation.

Teamwork - How To Deal With Conflict
Reacting To Difficult Types of People
If You Must Criticize Someone

Do you have other favorite resources for teaching adults and youth how to deal with conflict? We'd love to learn from you!

Easter Eggs - Lessons Learned

Have you ever thought about the concepts a child can learn from coloring eggs? In addition to building the assets of creative activities and support, you can also use it to build a commitment to learning. Here are some quick lessons I thought about, and I'm sure you'll have more ideas!

•Science: temperature for boiling, bacterial precautions, chemical reactions, nutritional values


•Art: wax art, shrink wraps, layering colors, color wheel, cutting out the ‘egg holders’ on the cardboard boxes


•History: why eggs (I haven’t studied this!), why color eggs?, when did the tradition start?, other Easter traditions


•Math: cost of eggs and supplies, color density in relation to time in the dye, counting as you leave the eggs in the dye, following recipes that use boiled eggs


•Spelling: writing the child’s name, Happy Easter, Jesus Lives, or other phrases on the eggs


•Reading: reading the directions for boiling or decorating eggs

Choosing Children's Activities

MVParents just posted a thought-provoking article titled "Demanding Activities: When Are They Too Much?" Here are some excerpts of the article...

Whether your child is involved in sports, music, the arts, or another activity, there often comes a time when she finds herself involved in an activity that demands a great deal of time and money. In our “go-go-go” society, there are a growing number of activities that now require kids to give almost all of their free time to participate. How do you know when this is the right thing to do?

Consider these ideas:

Talk with your child about what’s important and what he wants to do. Some kids want to do ballet, debate, volunteering, or a musical group that requires intensive training and activity. Other kids don’t. Discuss these issues together.

As a family, talk about your values regarding success. Kids do better academically and socially, and behave in ways we value, when they have multiple interests instead of just one.

Talk about the value of pursuing a number of interests that your child gets excited about. For more information, visit www.ignitesparks.com.

If you want your child to be good at something, that pursuit will be demanding in terms of time. That’s true for all people. In order to master a skill, it takes time and practice.

Consider the pros and cons of kids doing demanding activities. Yale University child psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Pruett was interviewed on this subject through the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. You can listen to the audio episode on their Web site.

Know what you’re willing to invest financially in an activity. Talk to your child about this. It can be painful when she begins to enjoy and excel at an activity and you find that you’re required to shell out hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars. Ask about the financial aspects of an activity; not only for this season or this year, but in the coming years as well.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which outlines tips for specific age groups.

News from Nashville's Mayor's Youth Council

From the Mayor's Youth Council:

As you may know, Mayor Dean and a task force of over 50 local community, government, faith and nonprofit leaders have begun a 5-month process toward developing a citywide Child and Youth Master Plan. The Mayor and the entire task force (which includes several young people) are emphasizing the need to hear from our youth. The first step is the Youth Survey linked here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZYXHKQ3 which was created by and is being supported and analyzed by the Mayor’s Youth Council.

Please share this survey with any and all young people you might be connected with so that we can ensure that their perspectives inform this important process. Hard copy surveys will also be distributed at schools to ensure a representative sample from the District and as well as private schools.

As an additional opportunity and a follow-up to the survey, the Mayor’s Youth Council will also be hosting the Mayor’s Youth Summit on March 26 which will further inform the Child and Youth Master Plan. Youth members of the Master Plan task force are also holding focus groups around town and in schools, a process being led by MLK student and chair of the task force, Jairus Cater.

Please keep an eye out for these opportunities in the next couple of weeks and help us set a new standard for how a city can work WITH its youth to create a new vision and new solutions for our city.

If you have questions, please direct them to the MYC adult support staff Lindsay Wilke: lwilke@oasiscenter.org

New E-Book Release for K-3 Educators, Youth Workers and Parents

Our 3rd book is now available electronically, so you can pick which version best fits your needs, or you can easily send it as a gift!

Building Character from the Start: 201 Activities to Foster Creativity, Literacy, and Play in K-3
$23.95

Grounded in the 40 Developmental Assets , a research-based framework for healthy child development, this inspirational activity book lets kids have fun while building new skills and character. Kids are prompted to finish a coloring page with their own ideas and dreams while synopses of nearly 100 books include follow-up questions and ideas for taking the book's lessons even further. Fun for every grade level and area of interest is provided through word games, community-building games, team-building games, and more. Included with the book is a CD-ROM of reproducible handouts to engage kids even further, rounding out this ideal tool for teachers, day-care providers, and after-school program providers.

Click here to find more info or purchase the e-book for $23.95.
If you prefer to hold your books in hand, click here for the paperback version.

Outdoor Nation

Asset Builders,

See the information below and more details attached for getting our youth outside for power, political action and play.

The Outdoor Foundation and more than 30 organizations (including the YMCA) are supporting the Outdoor Nation -- a next-gen movement to champion the outdoors. If you are between ages 13 and 30, you’re invited to join this growing group of young adults who are building an Outdoor Nation that combines youth power, political action, and outdoor play.

By becoming an Outsider you’ll:
- Win free outdoor gear from brand name companies like The North Face just for providing feedback and sharing your opinions
- Connect with other Outsiders across the country who share your passion
- Advise and work with the top outdoor companies in the world
- Influence federal and state public policies and programs
- Have the chance to earn exclusive internships with cool outdoor organizations
- Have the chance to travel to NYC and attend Outdoor Nation in Central Park
Be one of the first 500 members between the ages of 13-30 and win a FREE Outdoor Nation T-shirt!

To join Outdoor Nation and become an Outsider, simply visit www.outdoornation.org.

Take care and GET OUTSIDE!

Sandra Harris
Asset Specialist
YMCA of the USA

Helping in Haiti

Since there are so many needs in Haiti we want you to see this resource kit with ideas of projects and things needed. Hope it helps spark some further ideas of how you can involve your youth. Though targeted towards sports, that doesn't mean you HAVE to have a sports team. The ideas still work. The needs are still there.

--

Many have donated to Haiti through various aid organizations, but there is more to be done. As youth sports program providers, there is enormous potential to engage young athletes in service-learning projects related to the recovery effort in Haiti.

Up2Us has developed the 'Guide for Youth Sports Teams to Help Haiti', a comprehensive guide to the discussion, research, preparation and action that a service-learning project for Haiti requires. Download, share, and utilize this guide

Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 15 - 21)

Random Acts of Kindness Week is a celebration dedicated to reminding everyone of the positive benefits and effects of kindness. Kindness is good for both the giver and the person receiving the kind gesture. A compliment.....help provided.....a favor done.....it makes each person feel special. When someone does a generous deed for another, a series of Kind Acts is set in motion and Kindness repeats across the community. Performing acts of kindness not only benefits the receiver of kindness but the doer as well. In fact, practicing kind acts has been proven to benefit both one's mental and physical health.

Download resources at: www.actsofkindness.org/be-inspired
Teacher resources are available at: www.actsofkindness.org/classroom

Share the Love - Valentine Traditions that Build Healthy Relationships

Holidays offer a great opportunity to be intentional about building assets, building memories, and having fun together. Valentine’s Day, in particular, is a great time to show others that you care, leading to a more caring school climate, a more supportive home environment, stronger intergenerational relationships and healthier friendships. Here are some ideas you can use in the weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day.


Kitchen Celebrations

• Hide a Valentine message and candy treat as a surprise.
• Write ‘love notes’ with a sharpie marker on the peel of a banana or a sandwich bag
• Cut out hearts - sandwiches, pizza, pancakes, cookies, rice crispy treats, napkins, placemats....
• Have friends over for a pancake breakfast. Make heart-shaped pancakes using a metal cookie cutter. Serve with raspberry or strawberry preserves and a dollop of whipped cream.
• Incorporate red, pink, and white foods into your Valentine’s Day meals (Red: strawberries, apples, dried cranberries, red peppers, raspberries, red hots, spaghetti, lasagna. White: bananas , cauliflower, yogurt covered raisins, marshmallows, vanilla yogurt, alfredo pasta. Pink: strawberry ice cream, strawberry milk, strawberry yogurt)
  

Loving Words

• Hide conversation hearts around the room for children to find. Let children hunt and hide them again and again.
• Get sneaky – put mini love notes in each other’s pockets, lunchboxes or on their pillows during the week. On each note, share a specific trait you admire about that person such as, “Your hugs every night make my day,” “I love your ready smile,” or “Thank you for your helpful spirit.”
• Send cards to people you care about. Draw pictures or write poems to tell them why they are important to you.

Loving Hands

• Make Valentines on the computer. Create labels using your own photo, add a Valentine message, and then stick the label to treats.
• Remember old fashioned paper weaving with paper strips? Weave pink, white, and red placemats.
• Get creative – make valentine t-shirts with paints or draw hearts and fill in with words and pictures that represent things that each is proud of themselves and each other.
• Make ‘stained glass’ hearts using recycled crayons and waxed paper.

Show Some Love to Others
Volunteer together to help someone in need. (Need inspiration? For young children, read Berenstain Bears’ Think of Those in Need by Stan and Jan Berenstain. For pre-teens and teens consider reading our book, Ready to Go Service Projects: 140 Ways for Youth Groups to Lend a Hand.)


On the Big Screen
Spread out sleeping bags and enjoy a box of popcorn as you enjoy classic movies about love and friendship. Some of our favorites include: Ever After, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, Shrek, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Lady and the Tramp, Cars, The Lion King, or The Princess Bride.

Whatever you do, seize the moment to show attention, love and care for those around you. Don’t miss the opportunity to say you care.

Assets Built through These Valentine’s Traditions * Family support * Positive family communication * Other adult relationships * Caring neighborhood * Caring school climate * Service to others * Positive peer influence * Creative activities * Youth programs * Time at home * Reading for pleasure * Caring * Equality and social justice * Planning and decision making * Interpersonal competence * Self-esteem

Valentine's Day Educational Fun

Connecting educational ideas to holidays is an easy way to capitalize on the fun of learning, and help children/youth develop their own commitment to learning (one of Search Institute's 8 Asset Categories).

Here are some of the many Valentine's Day curriculum ideas that I found on EducationWorld's website. You'll find ideas from science, math, writing, vocabulary and technology on their full list.

A Knife to the Heart
Students investigate the history of heart surgery and create a time line showing the most important breakthroughs in cardiac medicine. (Grades 6-12)

The Heartbreaking Puzzle
Students assemble and reassemble pieces from a heart-shaped puzzle to form a variety of geometric shapes. (Grades 3-8)

The Heart of Mathematical Thinking
This Valentine Hearts Investigation engages students in collecting data, making predictions, and graphing.

Candy Heart Stories
Write a story that includes the text of the candy conversation hearts you chose. (Grades 1-8)

Teacher Feature
Valentine Battleship allows kids to combine math practice with holiday fun.

Have a Heart
An Internet scavenger hunt for students in grades 2-6.

Check out their website to see more ideas for Valentine's Day and other holidays.