Coalition
Grant
NECC Uses an Asset Approach to Give Kids What
They Need to Succeed
The Northeast Community Challenge Coalition (NECC)
was awarded a Drug-Free Communities Program Grant by the White House Office
of National Drug Control Policy. The NECC
began in 1983 in response to the "Chemical People" television
documentary. Located in the northeast corner of Hamilton
County, the coalition has strong
community support. The target area encompasses Symmes and Sycamore townships
and the cities of Blue Ash and Montgomery.
The primary method that will be used to reduce alcohol and drug use among
children and youth is the establishment of a cadre of trained change agents
(asset builders ) to work within their respective
sectors in order to weave a web of protection around children and youth in
the places where they live, learn, and play. The project will 1) establish an
administrative infrastructure to support each community sector's
asset-building initiative singularly and the community asset-building
initiative collectively, 2) decrease the availability of alcohol and other
drugs to youth, and 3) increase the average number of protective factors
experienced by youth.
Planned activities include providing information, training, technical
assistance, communication between law enforcement and the schools, and
consistently enforcing policies on access to alcohol and other drugs. The
project plans to provide life skills and resiliency curricula to the schools
and provide training to teachers and other school staff.
Research by the Search Institute in Minneapolis
has identified 40 developmental assets that have a tremendous influence on
young people's lives. Research shows that the 40 developmental assets help
young people make wise decisions, choose positive paths, and grow up
competent, caring and responsible. Developmental assets help to inoculate
children and youth from engaging in risk taking behavior. The more assets a
young person possesses, the stronger his or her health outcomes.
Developmental assets are known to promote three types of healthy outcomes:
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1.
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The prevention of alcohol,
tobacco, and drug use, violence and school dropout
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2.
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The enhancement of outcomes
such as school success and the affirmation of diversity
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3.
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Resiliency, or the capacity to rebound in the face of
adversity
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NECC
Community Wide
Asset Initiative
Building Developmental Assets for
Children and Youth throughout all Sectors of the Community
Support:
Adults need to provide an ongoing, caring relationship
with children and youth. When children and youth feel cared for and connected
to an adult, expectations for appropriate behavior and commitment to learning
are more effectively accepted and enforced.
Constructive use of time:
Children and youth need safe places and structured
activities, which promote healthy positive youth development.
Positive Values:
Adults who set ethical standards will help children and
youth develop an internal compass, which will navigate them through childhood
and adolescence to develop a strong inner core of positive values, beliefs,
and convictions to guide their decisions and choices.
Boundaries and Expectations:
Adults need to establish clear boundaries and high
expectations for healthy behaviors with opportunities for children and youth
to learn skills to develop appropriate behaviors. Keep boundaries for
inappropriate behaviors clear and consistent and developmentally appropriate.
Enforce rules consistently.
Social Competencies:
Adults need to teach children and adolescents the skills
that will help them develop the competencies to express their feelings in
appropriate ways and learn to respect the feelings of others. They need to
accept responsibility for their actions and words. Adults need to encourage
acceptance of diversity, skills to resist risky behaviors, and peaceful
conflict resolution.
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