POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

What is Youth Development?
Youth development is an approach to working with young people that intentionally helps youth meet developmental needs, builds their capacity and provides relationships and connections needed for their success. The youth development approach is based on over 40 years of research in the youth development, asset development and resiliency fields.

What is Resiliency?
Resiliency is the ability to spring back from and successfully adapt to adversity. An increasing body of research from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and sociology is showing that most people–including young people–can bounce back from risks, stress, crises, and trauma and experience life success.

What is the 40 Developmental Asset Framework?
The 40 Developmental Assets represent everyday wisdom about positive experiences and characteristics for young people. In addition, research has found that these assets have a powerful influence on the behaviors of young people. The research shows that the more assets a young person has the more likely they are to make healthy choices, value diversity and maintain academic success.

In an effort to identify the elements of a strength-based approach to healthy development, the Search Institute developed the framework of developmental assets. This framework identifies 40 critical factors for young people's growth and development. The assets clearly show important roles that family, schools, congregations, neighborhoods, youth organizations, and others in communities play in shaping young people's lives.
Click here for a list of the 40 Developmental Assets.

Program Overview:
Positive Youth Development Programs is a team of dedicated staff that are charged with delivering programs, training and resources to schools in the areas of youth development, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use prevention, and violence prevention. These programs are outlined on the following web pages.

Youth Development Trainings Available:

Asset Development in the Classroom, Strengthening Student Success
This training provides school site staff an overview of the 40 Development Assets and how to incorporate the asset model into the school community and classroom. Participants will learn the direct link between developmental assets and academic achievement. This presentation is typically presented in 1.5 or 2 hours and salary advancement is available.

Giving Youth What They Need to Succeed
This presentation is geared toward parents and/or community members. Participants will be given an overview of the 40 Developmental Assets and the power they have to both protect young people from engaging in risky behaviors as well as promote positive and healthy choices. This presentation is typically 1.5 or 2 hours.

To schedule a presentation please contact our office at 686-7568.

Youth Development Programs Currently in Place:

Project SUCCESS (grades 10-12):
Project SUCCESS (Schools Using Coordinated Community Efforts to Strengthen Students) prevents and reduces substance abuse among high school adolescents by placing highly trained professionals in schools to provide a full range of substance use prevention and early intervention services. These include normative and preventive education, counseling and skills training, problem identification and referral, community-based processes, and environmental approaches.
www.sascorp.org

Link Crew (grades 9-12):
Link Crew is a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, Link Crew trains members of the junior and senior class to be Link Leaders. As positive role models, Link Leaders are motivators, leaders and teachers who guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school.
www.boomerangproject.com

Project Alert (grades 7-8):
Project ALERT is a nationally recognized, 7th & 8th grade, evidence-based program that gives students insight, understanding, and actual skills for resisting substance use. Project ALERT successfully addresses tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and inhalants, the substances teens are most likely to use.
www.projectalert.com

Club Live/Friday Night Live (grades 7-12):
Club Live and Friday Night Live clubs work toward setting a campus norm that is against alcohol and other drug use while at the same time promoting positive youth development.
www.fridaynightlive.org

Links and Resources:*
The Search Institute is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization whose mission is to advance the well-being of adolescents and children by generating knowledge and promoting its application. www.search-institute.org

Resiliency in Action provides information on resiliency and youth development. www.resiliency.com

The Youth Services Provider Network (YSPN) is a collaboration of a broad cross section of youth-serving providers and funders in the Sacramento region committed to promoting positive youth development, learning, networking and resource sharing. The YSPN’s mission is to strengthen the ability of youth practitioners and community organizations to foster the holistic development of young people. http://www.leed.org

Contacts:
Positive Youth Development Team:
Shirley Arroyo, Positive Youth Development Coordinator
Tami Silvera, Positive Youth Development Project Implementor
Jennifer Ballerini, Program Assistant
Barbara Curry,Jr., Project SUCCESS Project Implementor
Chenetta Briggs, Project SUCCESS Project Implementor
Yvette Jackson, Project SUCCESS Project Implementor
Ron Richard, Substance Abuse Prevention Education Project Implementor

Mailing Address:
Student Support and Health Services
c/o PYD Programs
Elk Grove Unified School District
9510 Elk Grove-Florin Road
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Telephone:
(916) 686-7568

FAX:
(916) 686-7596

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