Asset Corner #82

October’s Asset Category: SUPPORT. Supportive, healthy relationships make a big difference. Many studies over the years confirm that caring, supportive relationships with adults are critical for raising young people who are healthy and resilient. Support means freely giving young people love, affirmation, and acceptance; surrounding young people with caring families, guardians, friends, teachers, neighbors, and other adults; and helping young people know they belong, are not alone, and are both loved and lovable.

Support Assets Include:
            #1 Family Support – Family life provides high level of love and support. (68%*)
            #2 Positive Family Communication – Young person and his/her parent(s) communicate. (28*)
            #3 Other Adult Relationships – Young person receives support from 3 or more nonparent adults. (43%*)
            #4 Caring Neighborhood – Young person experiences caring neighbors. (37%*)
            #5 Caring School Climate – School provides a caring, encouraging environment. (29%*)
               #6 Parent Involvement in Schooling – Parents are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school. (29%*)
       

This column’s focus will be on…..Asset #4 – Caring Neighborhood

Here are the facts
Research shows that young people are more likely to grow up healthy if they live in a community with caring neighbors. About 37 percent of young people, ages 11–18, report that they have caring neighbors, according to Search Institute surveys. The key is to create a safe haven in which young people feel loved, supported, and understood.

Tips for building this asset
Friendships and trust only develop when people take risks by acknowledging their neighbors, getting to know them, and taking time to form relationships. How well do you know your neighbors? Do you know their names? Get to know those who live around you. Begin by greeting your neighbors when you see them outside. With a little effort, you’ll get to know the young people you live near and they’ll get to know you. It’s important for the well-being of young people and society to reach out to one another and get to know neighbors.

Also try this
In your home and family: Encourage your child to get to know the people in your neighborhood by being a role model. Walk through the neighborhood as a family. Organize a potluck, cookout, or block party with your neighbors.
In your neighborhood and community: Meet with a neighborhood group or start a small group if one doesn’t exist. Do activities together, such as creating a community garden or forming a “welcome wagon” of youth and adults to greet new residents.In your school or youth program: Create a magazine or book about local history. To do so, ask students or participants to interview some of the older neighbors and collect their stories.

ASSET RELATED NEWS
Do you have a son or daughter who has finished the 8th grade or at least 15 years old and interested in the areas of health & safety? Consider encouraging their involvement in the Explorers program of Boy Scouts of America. There's a Parma Law Enforcement post & a Parma, Parma Hts., Brooklyn Fire & EMS post. This is a great opportunity for your child to gain some hands-on experience in a career as a police officer, fireman and/or emergency medical technician. For details contact Jennifer La Riccia, Exploring Director at 440.669.6993 or jennifer.lariccia@scouting.org.
Mark your calendars  - Sunday - October 9th at Byers Field from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm - for a repeat of the successfulAxelrod Buick GMC Buick " Drive For Your Students" proceeds to benefit our students. This simple, free, fun event requires only that you showup, register & test drive a Buick/GMC vehicle of your choice. For that we'll receive a $20 donation. The more people who drive the more money will be donated.
October 25th will be PARMA AREA KIWANIS DAY at Bakers Square restaurant on W.130 across from Sears. Twenty percent of all couponed sales made during the day will be donated to the organization, helping to fund their many youth and community projects. Visit their facebook page at www.facebook.com/parmaareakiwanis to print your coupon and learn more about this great civic organization.
The "Teach Me to Read at Home" program will, once again, be hosted at the Hanna building on Snow & Chevy Blvd. For Pre-K children and their parents, it features a series of six evening workshops where parents and their children can work together on beginning reading skills.  Contact Beth Hastings at 440.886.7623 email: hastingsb@parmacityschools.org for details.
GED & English speaking class schedules are now available at http://www.parmacityschools.org/Page/2886. Go there to learn more about these and other award winning adult education program opportunities.
If you’re looking for a faith-based, after-school program for your family try the LOGOS Youth Club at Ridgewood United Methodist Church on Ridge Rd. There’s no registration fee and dinner is served as part of Family Time. WHEN: every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:20 pm.; WHERE: Ridgewood UMC, 6330 Ridge Rd. Ph: 440.885.1360.
Just as a reminder, the next meeting of the Tri-City Youth Development Task Force is scheduled for Tuesday October 4th beginning at 5:30 pm at the Parma Hts Library, 6206 Pearl Rd. (Greenbriar Commons). If you're at all interested in youth development/programming and/or involved in youth outreach, you should be attending these meetings.
The Collab's (at Hanna Elem on Snow & Chevy Blvd) next Mobile Food Pantry will take place on Thursday, October 13th. Help is needed in the morning (9:00 am) to unload & set-up, and again in the afternoon (2:00 pm) for distribution.
The District's CBS Connects (www.cbsconnects.org) initiative is still looking for volunteers to become "I Could Be" online mentors for upwards of 75 students that have signed up for the program. If the "I Could Be" option doesn't appeal to you then go to the CBSConnects web site for details on the shadowing, career lunch & one-on-one mentoring program opportunities.
From Chelsey Kovar, President, PECPTA (Parma Early Childhood PTA)….Over 2,000 people attended the Touch-a-Truck event held on Sunday Sept 25th at the UH/PMC Health Education Center. It was a HUGE success and so much fun. We were able to raise $423.92 for Parma Animal Shelter and collected hundreds of canned goods for the Parma Hunger Center. Our sincere thank you to the city, UH/PMC, event participants and our community for supporting our service projects  See you next year!

SHARE YOUR ASSET BUILDING IDEAS AND/OR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTAL ASSET CONCEPT BY VISITING THE “ASSET CORNER” FACEBOOK PAGE. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

Visit www.parmacityschools.org/character, www.search-institute.org/assets for more information about the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them. Or go here  http://www.parentfurther.com/  for great asset-based parenting tips, tricks, activities and ideas.