November 17, 1999
Governor's wife says we need to build our youth's assets
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
The lights were dimmed but not the enthusiasm among the adults and youths at the Camden Falls conference center Tuesday afternoon.
A year's worth of effort was celebrated at the luncheon that honored more than 30 people across Seneca County as asset builders for the youth of their communities.
First lady of Ohio Hope Taft was the guest speaker for the gathering of representatives from social service organizations, community groups and schools, recognized as participating in the Asset Building Committees organized by the Seneca County Family and Children First Council.
Taft stated that she felt that Seneca County was serious about kids being their best.
"You want to focus on positives in your community,'' Taft said. "And you know how to protect young people from getting into trouble. And you know that the best prevention is the promotion of healthy lifestyles.''
Taft quoted Lincoln, who said that "the future of humanity is in the hands of children.''
"So we should do everything possible for children,'' she said. "We should make youth our No. 1 priority. I applaud you, because you are helping to guide and nurture the youth within your county.''
She said that communities must work together so that young people don't "cry out'' for attention in negative ways.
Holding up a glass of iced tea, she used it to illustrate the amount of assets each child has, such as family support, feeling safe at home and school, knowing how to plan ahead and make choices, and feeling optimistic about the future. Each of 40 assets that were identified by the Search Institute are important building blocks in a child's development, and are needed to help them grow to be healthy, caring and responsible adults.
"Twenty percent of the children have zero to 10 of the 40 assets needed for healthy development,'' she said. "Forty two percent have 10 to 20 assets, 30 percent of the youth have 20 to 30 and only eight percent have the 30 to 40 that they need.
"The more assets you have, the less likely to be involved in negative behavior. When sixth grade students were surveyed, it was found that the average number of assets the children had were 21.5; by the time they were in the 10th and 11th grade, it was down to 16.9.''
"They had lost assets,'' she said. "What is it in their communities, families or schools that reduces the positive things that young people have had?''
Taft said that we all yearn to provide our children with the protection of our own childhood, "Where the neighbor would take you in if things weren't going well at home,'' she said, "And where news of your misbehavior traveled home faster than you did. I have a sense that Seneca County has a lot of those values still in place. Yet there are a lot of places where there is a real yearning to return to those values.''
She referred to a syndicated column by Ellen Goodman which stated that concentric circles of responsible adults have disappeared one by one from children's lives.
"The neighbors are minding their own business,'' she said. "And parents have gone to work or (are) just not there; there are not enough caring adults in their lives.''
"Parents must realize that they are the glue that hold families together,'' Taft said. "Parents really are the key to the future; they are the ones that kindle that spark and make sure it doesn't go out.''
Parents are the major reason why kids do not try drugs. Talking to them, said Taft, is shown to make them 400 percent less likely to be involved in risky behaviors.
"Kids really do want our guidance,'' she added. "And parents should be the chief asset builders in their child's life.''
Other important asset builders are teachers, other relatives and leaders of youth organizations.
"You are more important than the organization's programs,'' she said of scout and other youth group leaders. "The one-on-one relationships you nurture are the keys to help kids beat the odds and become the productive, responsible adults we as a community need.''
The child's first employer also plays an important role, according to Taft. "He is the one that sets the norms of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. That makes the kids realize that this is important.''
She shared the "10 commandments'' of youth involvement with the group. "The first is to always start with acknowledging their talents and skills,'' she began. "Share the conviction that the community is filled with useful opportunities; try to distinguish between real community building and games or task forces; fight age segregation; get away from aggregating people by their emptiness; move beyond youth-advisory boards,by cultivating opportunities for teaching and leading; and celebrate every contribution by young people.''
The following youth were recognized as youth asset award winners: Annalisa Benner, Rachel Benner, Katie Culver, Katrina Culver, Brian Daniel, Ellen Ewald, Mary Kinn, Ann Lofton, Matt Lofton, Emma Rennels, Deidra Rinehart, Kristin Rinehart, Katie Schumm, Lindsay Nedolast, Shane Parsons, Theresa Vela, Amber Woessner and Rachel Yaeger.
Adult winners recognized were Tim Atkinson, Judy Allensworth, Jennifer Beigh, Suzanne Bodart, Laura Bogard, Linda Cohen, Lindsay Cook, Ann Diaz, Connie Dorr, Jamie Hepp, Gary Holland, Pamela Kelbley, Carol Le Forge, Cathy Margraf, Jamie Miller, Lakshmi Pathi, Brian Rosendale, Judy Roush, Tonya Schaffer, Matt Schetter, Scott Vest, Paula Vest, Tim Wilhelm and Ruth Whitaker.