40 Developmental Assets

New Data (PDF Downloads):
The Marquette and Alger County 2006 - Youth Asset Report
PSLAB Aggregate Executive Summary
Marquette-Alger County Sidebar Survey Report 2006

Giving all our kids a chance to succeed in life is perhaps the most important thing a community can do. For several years in Marquette and Alger Counties, multiple community organizations and institutions have been working to improve the condition of youth and help assure a healthy and successful future for all young people. Using a model of youth asset building developed by Search Institute of Minneapolis, many efforts have been made to learn about this approach and how to implement it in our communities.

GLCYD uses the Search Institute's Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors (PSL:AB) survey to develop an aggregate picture of how youth are doing. Partnering first in 1997 with the local schools and Marquette Alger Regional Educational Services Agency (MARESA), GLCYD has administered the survey to all 8th, 10th, and 12th graders every two years. The results for each year are provided in this section of the website.

The 40 Developmental Assets are the strengths, or building blocks, that kids need to grow up healthy, competent, and caring. Search Institute research tells us that youth with more assets experience more success in life and participate less in risky behaviors. (Click here for a listing and description of the 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents.)

Available Data, Comparisons & Information

PSL:AB Data

2004 & 2006 Comparison
1997,2000,2002 Comparison

All Youth 2004 Data
Female 2002 Data

All Youth 2002 Data

Youth Possessing 0-10 Assets (2000)

Survey Usage

2006 Youth Asset Survey

2006 Youth Asset Survey (PDF)
Report on the 40 Assets
5 Developmental Deficits
8 Thriving Indicators
9 Substance Use Related Risk-taking Behaviors
10 Risk-taking Behavior Patterns
15 Other Risk-taking Behaviors
2006 Executive Summary (PDF)
2006 Sidebar Survey Report

2004 Youth Asset Survey

2004 Pink Youth Asset Survey (PDF)
Report on the 40 Assets

10 Risk-taking Behavior Patterns

15 Other Risk-taking Behaviors

Each of 5 Deficits

8 Thriving Indicators

9 Substance Use Related Risk-taking Behaviors
2004 Executive Summary (PDF)
2004 Report Data Launch PowerPoint
Asset Survey results from 8 counties in the U.P.

2002 Youth Asset Survey

Report on Substance Use Related Risk-Taking Behaviors

Report on 15 Risk-Taking Behaviors

Report on the 40 Assets

2000 Youth Asset Survey

Average Number of Assets

The Power of Asset Building

Report on the 40 Assets

Report on 412 Youth With 0-10 Assets

How can we help build more assets in our youth?

1997 Youth Asset Survey

Average Number of Assets

The Power of Asset Building

Report on the 40 Assets

Quick Facts
An overview of the basic data for each group of youth.

National & Local Comparison
Comparisons of national and local data on the 40 developmental asset survey.

Asset Profiles
Developmental assets represent the positive relationships, opportunities, skills, and values that promote the positive development of all children and adolescents.

Developmental Deficits
There are negative influences or realities in young people's lives that make it more difficult for them to develop in healthy, caring, and productive ways.

Thriving Indicators
Healthy adolescent development is not defined as solely the absence of health compromising behaviors. Healthy development also includes the proactive embrace of life-enhancing attitudes and behaviors, which are assessed through the proximal outcomes of thriving indicators.

Substance Use Risk-taking Behaviors
These behaviors include the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and also behaviors related to drinking and driving.

Risk-taking Behaviors
This includes participation in sexual intercourse, antisocial behavior, violence, school truancy, gambling, eating disorder, depression, and attempted suicide.

Copyright©2003 by the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development except where noted
Contact Judy Watson-Olson or Karen Thompson at (906)228-8919 with questions/comments
Some information on this site is produced by other sources, see bibliography for source
This page was last updated on Tuesday, October 07th, 2008