Search Institute has identified building blocks of healthy development – known as Developmental Assets. These assets help young people grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible. The Developmental Relationships are integral to my Teens and Transition Guides for Parents and Teachers.

“It is difficult, if not impossible, to find any positive developmental outcome that isn’t shaped by relationships. If we can all agree that every single young person deserves the opportunity to be seen, heard, valued, and safe, we need to start asking who is not feeling these things and why?”  – Ben Houltberg, PhD, CEO, Search Institute

Developmental Assets are building blocks for our youth. Through quality social research, Search Institute seeks answers to emerging and important questions about positive youth development and the nature of social change. Over two million youth across Canada and the United States have been surveyed since 1989.

Teens and Transition: Parent Guide

Parent Guide CoverThe resource Teens and Transition: A Parent Guide has Developmental Assets at the core.

  • Introduction
  • Purpose of Teens and Transition: a Parent Guide
  • Why the Guide is Needed
  • Key Ingredients for a Successful Transition
  • Section One: Parent Preparation Activities
  • Section Two: Activities

After the Parent Preparation in the Parent Guide, the Building Blocks of healthy development for young people are introduced. The Blocks were identified by the Search Institute and are known as Developmental Assets.

The Parent Guide has the Assets for Adolescents Parent Checklist and Assets for Adolescents Youth Checklist as the central activities. This is followed by 40 Ways to Build Assets.

For the past 10 years the team at Developmental Relationships has concentrated on their applied research efforts to better understand the power of relationships and how they can “be more” for all young people. The findings are now being shared.

Teens and Transition: Teacher Guide

Teacher Guide CoverActivities and Handouts that Support the Transition of Students to Secondary/High School

  • Introduction
  • Section One: High School Visit Prep
  • Section Two: High School Visit
  • Section Three: Settling In
  • Appendix

Flip through sample books and learn more about the teens and transition guides.