Peter Benson Keynote 3

Keynote speaker
Peter Benson
Search Institute, "40 Developmental Assets"
Friday, 9 am – 10:30 am

Notes from presenter:
Science should be used as a tool not an end. Mobilization of America is what we need and it should focus on the developmental journey of kids. Work is mobilization of towns and citizens. All kids are our kids (love this saying! And it is very true). Essential scientific idea and important philosophy – must be spread through America. Look for strength and build on strength. Too much focus on why kids fail. Focus on why succeed. 50,000 studies on depression, 40,000 on anxiety, but only 50 on joy. Build whole, healthy successful human beings. To mobilize the nation – you can’t give public constant message of danger, etc. The public assumes professionals should raise children. That is wrong! It is the community that should raise the children. Teach the community connectedness and engagement. Professionals don’t do this work, it is the people. Transform places where young people spend their time – schools, churches – these places have lost developmental touch.

We build disconnect – children do not know adults for longer than year. We segregate by age. Loss of sustained connectedness. It is in sustained relationship that we nuture best of life, pass on wisdom. Sustainability of connection across time. Remember and know young people across time. Someone knows they are alive and doing well. Being able to say, “You’ve grown so much, you look like your mother.” Rally for team of human development.

Spark – sparking curiosity, imagination. Building blocks. Engine. These are great developmental words we need to own and celebrate. Handouts 40 developmental assets from Search Institute. They cover support, empowerment, boundaries, expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, positive identities. This handout refers to ages 5 through 9 – main focus for children’s museums. On his website we can see the 0 to 4. Every human being needs to find their place in the framework.

These assets started 40 years ago. 3 million young adults have done this developmental asset. By the time you’re a high school senior, you might have 17 assets. Assets 2 through 9 are biggest risk for minorities. They don’t have lasting adult relationships, not welcoming school, lack of help from parents, and the perception that city doesn’t care about kids. Children being seen as a problem rather than as a resource.

Biggest thing we can do – spend an hour with staff and ask each other. Which of these 40 assets does out children’s museum touch? How do we do asset # __? Name what you touch. A huge affirmation for a team of people on the impact of the lives we touch. People love to hear ideas of strategies and tactics. We need to won, claim, and celebrate our asset building power.

Science – the more assets the better. The American problem is – we’re losing our way. We need a language of the common good. The Search Institute’s biggest achievement is creating this framework with no controversy around it. Everyone, all communities can look and say, yes this is what kids need. 600 cities are using this draw people together. Calling the schools, neighborhoods, parents, faith – what is your role? The only criticism we get is – what’s missing? Wellness and nutrition. That is key too. In the next few years we’ll be able alter the taxonomy to add wellness and physical well being.

Kids need 3 or 4 – family, school, community, and a safe place to go – all of which need to be asset building. Talks about Morgan Freeman and how he has good response to town. We’re losing this, losing this spark. What happened to thriving? We see thriving plants, fields – reaching up and out into the world. Who are the kids who are alive, in love with life? Development from the inside out.

You don’t learn to thrive from messages – you learn from the inside out - Plutarch, “kids are not vessels to be filled, but fires to be lit.” Where are you, what are you as a kid bringing got the human party? We must identify our spark, spirit – from latin spirtus “my breath.” What is your breath? That thing about you that is good and beautiful? Find and hang onto our spark. When we lose it, life is empty. When one is known and seen for one’s spark – everything becomes possible.

Harris, Gallop polls, thousands of adults and parents. 100 % of kids get the idea of spark in a heartbeat. What is it about you that gives you joy and energy, life seems full and gives you energy?2/3 of middle school can name it. 20 % of high school can name 2 or 3. 220 types of sparks kids name. Kids get excited – no one has asked me to name it. Leading, learning in a particular area (archeology, marine biology, languages), stewardship of the earth: constantly attentive about what can be done, protection of animal life, athletics, the big winner – the largest in America art, music, dance, creative movement – the art of creation. How did we lose this? Spark is not the same as career. Spark is anchor for identity? The gift I bring to the world, why I’m here. Something is good and beautiful and useful about that I bring to the world. Can I let my spark have life today? Be my best me today?

Help me growing up to discover my spark. Our job as adults is to find it, feed it, and trust it. (applause everywhere). One in family, one in school, one other community resource – 3 people – spark champions – that is what they need. Share your spark. Create a sustainable relationship. Alert your teams to the idea of spark. When you see a kid come alive with something – touching water, electricity – let staff know give children the words to identify it! That’s your spark! Learn it – see it – feed it. Stories about Steven Speilberg as a child. Teenagers, say you don’t see me. We lose sight of this. Story about grandson, “I am an artist.” Get young people on the road to naming and framing I am. We must be the anchor of the strength based movement. Tell kid’s teacher and parents what kids spark is. His school reform is to identify all kids sparks. Middle school say on one third can identify spark. Hand out assets, hold seminars for parents. Help parents learn spark dialogue for their kids.

Kabbalah story “In the beginning the world was made of light. All of this light has been scattered into everything and everyone. We must all gather the light from ourselves and the world. It is our job to gather it and heal the world.” That’s perfect for the spark. May all of your museums grow and blossom.

Really inspirational. I think this is definitely something as library we do now and we are able to do. Already we make a huge difference in the lives of the community by providing access to information. I think we can take it to the next level by applying more of the 40 developmental assets. I think Archibald probably has a bit more experience connecting with the community because they’ve been there for more years. However, I think a lot of the staff that has been here for a long time does a super job of connecting with the community. We’ve got examples of us doing this right now - storytellers forming relationships with the children in their storytimes, the teen crew bonding with teens in programs, and even when we’re remembering adults who come to use studyrooms. Another kudos moment for us. I really liked his ideas (continue growth in our case) of handing out these assets (maybe making them available online through our website, maybe even tying them in to our programs we are offering). It sounds like our personal connection with the public is what we’re doing well and how we can continue to grow.