YORKTON - Yorkton council was provided a report Monday on Youth Resilience Project which is an ongoing SIGN initiative.
“All children and youth need to be surrounded with networks of individuals and institutions that provide them with support, opportunities, boundaries and structure, and nurture in them the commitments, values, competencies, and positive identity they need to grow up healthy and competent,” explained Darran Teneycke, a community skills worker with SIGN, adding funding is through the Morris Foundation.
Teneycke said the YRP has four objectives;
* Cultivate Community Readiness, Energy & Commitment
* Positive Youth Development
* Risk Reduction
* Effective Treatment & Support for Youth with Greater Needs
In conjunction with the four objectives is recognizing 40 key developmental assets.
“The choices youth make and the way they live their lives, including doing their best in school, staying healthy and safe, are strongly linked with what researchers call Developmental Assets,” said Teneycke.
Grouped into eight categories, the assets are positive qualities, skills, characteristics, and experiences all young people need.
In terms of the project to-date Teneycke said “All schools in Yorkton are supporting the project.
“I have a commitment from 17 Community Based Organizations or Ministry Departments to be part of Yorkton’s Alliance of Asset Champions.”
In addition, he has commitment from the City RCMP to be involved with Positive Ticketing.
“I have provided a number of workshops to various schools and community-based organizations called Everyone’s An Asset Builder,” said Teneycke.
Upcoming, Teneycke said he will do a survey called the Developmental Asset Profile in the spring with all youth in grades 6-12 to see where they have assets and where they are lacking.
Youth will be involved.
“I plan on creating youth committees, so youth can have a voice in addressing the results of the survey,” said Teneycke.
