Students Attend Leadership Conference

Twenty high school students from across the county were among 1,500 youth and adults who attended the 9th annual “Healthy Communities – Healthy Youth” conference in Dallas this past November. Sponsored by Search Institute, an independent, nonprofit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to promoting healthy children, youth, and communities, the conference was billed as a one-of-a-kind intergenerational event.

This year’s theme was “Creating Intergenerational Community,” and focused on bringing together a diverse population of mixed backgrounds – both nationally and internationally – to discuss strategies and tactics for creating healthy communities for children and youth. Participants learned about the 40 Developmental AssetsTM, a series of values that the Search Institute has identified as the core building blocks of healthy development. When integrated into daily life, these assets help young people grow up to be caring, responsible, and active in their surrounding environments.

Natalie Wright, one of several school counselors who attended the conference along with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Walts, members of his staff, and the students, explains that by incorporating the 40 Developmental AssetsTM into their everyday lives students will be less likely to participate in unhealthy activities, stay focused in school, maintain positive relationships with their families and be active participants in their communities. She says that above all else the attendees gained “more awareness of how beneficial those attributes really are and how necessary it is for all students to acquire as many attributes as possible.”

In addition to sitting in on lectures and participating in several networking sessions, students and adults alike attended a variety of interactive workshops that helped empower them to forge new collaborations, engage in leadership opportunities, and effect positive change in their communities. Attendees walked away from the conference knowing that both “young and old” must work together in order to be successful.

“This was an exceptional opportunity for students to understand how an intergenerational approach can build strong, healthy communities where all individuals are valued, and where students can thrive academically and be a positive force for change in the lives of others,” said Dr. Walts.

Visit the Search Institute’s Web site to learn more about the 40 Developmental AssetsTM, considered essential to raising successful young people, at http://www.search-institute.org/assets/40Assets.pdf

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