Six Keys to Asset Building
It doesn't cost a lot of money or require special training to build developmental assets. Here are six keys to guide asset-building action:

1. Everyone can build assets. Building assets requires consistent messages across a community. All adults, youth, and children play a role.

2. All young people need assets. While it is crucial to pay special attention to those youth who have the least (economically or emotionally), nearly all young people need more assets than they have.

3. Relationships are key. Strong relationships between adults and young people, young people and their peers, and teenagers and children are central to asset building.

4. Asset building is an ongoing process. Building assets starts when a child is born and continues through high school and beyond.

5. Consistent messages are important. Young people need to receive consistent messages about what's important and what's expected from their families, schools, communities, the media, and other sources.

6. Intentional redundancy is important. Assets must be continually reinforced across the years and in all areas of a young person's life.

• Copper Country Alcohol Facts
• Monitoring
• Talking With Your Teen
• Signs To Watch For
• Impacts of Alcohol On Your Teen
• Self-Assessment
• Michigan Law
• Assets
• Recognizing Mental Health Problems in Children (PDF Format)
• Children's Depression Checklist (PDF Format)
• Youth, Depression & Substance Use (PDF Format)
• Signs of Depression Checklist (PDF Format)
• Child and Adolescent Suicide (PDF Format)