Measuring Impact

Campaign Aims to Change Behavior by Changing Perspectives on Youth

The One Million Voices for Youth™ Campaign, launched by Assets for Colorado Youth, is a statewide effort to bring about a change in how we all live and work with the young people in our communities. By highlighting the strengths of the young people in Colorado we hope to cause adults to think differently about how they support and encourage young people. We want the focus to be on strengths and not just problems - opportunities and not just challenges. The Campaign is beginning in Colorado and is intended to spread nationwide

As part of the campaign we’re collecting a list of a million strengths youth have that make them special. We need your help to reach that goal. Join the campaign, download resources, read more.

Youth Development = Community Development

In a recently published evaluation report by OMNI Institute of the asset movement in Colorado, findings suggest that when the assets of youth are strengthened, so too is the community. Similarly, the framework encourages community leaders to recognize that community development is youth development, and that building healthier communities involves building the assets of youth. Underlying principles of the asset-building approach suggest that when community members acknowledge that youth are resources in communities and tap their potential, both the community environment and young people will be enriched with assets and benefit from the healthier behaviors that assets promote. Read more about applying knowledge.

Evaluation Tracks Growth of Asset Movement in Colorado and Impact of the Statewide Initiative
Download the summary (PDF).
Download the full report (PDF).

The culmination of a two-year evaluation by OMNI Institute, Creating Social Change: The Growth of a Statewide Movement details outcomes and processes used in measuring the spread of assets in Colorado. Released by The Colorado Trust, the initiative's funder, the study explores four main areas:

• ACY's role in helping individuals and organizations integrate the asset framework.
  
• The organizational and personal transformations that occur when the assets are integrated.
  
• The reach of the asset movement in Colorado.
  
• The impacts of asset building on Colorado youth.
  

The evaluation findings will help youth development researchers and practitioners better understand the asset-building process, its transformational power for organizational change and measures of success.

Youth Development Professionals Respond to Evaluation Results
In an event hosted by The Colorado Trust, the four panelists shared implications of the study findings to the sectors of education, congregations, city covernment, and health. Read more from The Colorado Trust.

Evaluation Tools

Asset Integration in organizations can be described as an upward moving spiral upon which groups move from pre-engagement to full engagement in incorporating a strength-based approach to working with youth.

Asset-Building Spiral