|
 United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) is
committed to building strength in young people by supporting highly
successful approaches to positive youth development. UWSBC is currently
working with schools in the Santa Barbara County area to support
strength-building activities for young people, utilizing several
successful youth development models, including those summarized below.
Character Counts and the Premier Character program are alive and well in
over 25 south Santa Barbara County schools, thanks to the work and
funding from UWSBC and its partners since 2001.
Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets™:
The Search Institute has identified 40 essential building blocks of
positive youth development that provide young people with the
experiences they need to grow into healthy, successful, and responsible
adults. These common sense building blocks, called “assets,” cover
eight important areas of human development. External assets relate to
the support and empowerment that young people receive from their
families and other key individuals in their homes, schools, and
communities. Internal assets involve the development of inner values
(such as caring, honesty, and integrity) as well as the formation of a
positive self-identity, social competence, and a commitment to learning. The asset-building approach is supported by extensive research in
child and adolescent development. Research has shown that increased
levels of assets are associated with positive behaviors such as academic
success, maintaining good health, demonstrating leadership, and valuing
diversity. The experience of assets also protects young people from
high risk behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse and violence. An
asset-building approach to youth development has been successfully
adopted by hundreds of schools and communities throughout the United
States.
|
Unique
Initiatives & Colloborations 
CHARACTER COUNTS!™ : CHARACTER
COUNTS!™ is a model of character education developed by the Josephson
Institute of Ethics and its coalition partners. This character
education model is built upon The Six Pillars of Character™. These
pillars include Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness,
Caring, and Citizenship. Each pillar is further described with specific
behaviors and attitudes that reflect strong character. Examples include
“Be considerate of the feelings of others” (Respect) and “Do your share
to make your school and community better” (Citizenship). The CHARACTER
COUNTS!™ model has been successfully implemented in elementary and
secondary schools throughout the United States.