Just When I Needed You: True Stories of Adults Who Made a Difference in the Lives of Young People

This thoughtful book should be read by anyone--parents, youth workers, ministers, community leaders, and policymakers--concerned about the future of America's children and the vitality of communities which they love. --Emmy Werner, University of California, Davis, author of Overcoming the Odds Based on research from the renowned Search Institute, this groundbreaking critique of American culture offers practical strategies for uniting and mobilizing communities around a shared vision of healthy development. Peter L. Benson introduces forty developmental assets-building blocks of healthy development. These assets--such as family support, intergenerational relationships, clear and consistent boundaries and expectations, participation in constructive activities, and community focus on values--are essential for all youth, regardless of background. Yet too few young people have these support structures in their lives. To increase assets among all kids, the author provides a compelling vision for a healthy community and specific recommAndations for individual, family and community action.