Howard County Connections

The Challenge

The social fabric of community in this country is beginning to wear thin. Many of the threads that once held our communities together have become faded or worn. Neighbors don’t know each other’s names. Extended families live far away. This decline in community spirit affects all of us, especially our children, whether they come from homes of poverty or privilege.

It’s time for a new focus on community—and a new focus on children and teens.

That’s what CONNECTIONS is all about. A ground-breaking initiative based in Howard County, Maryland, CONNECTIONS seeks to motivate all county residents—about a quarter of a million children, teens, adults, and seniors—to take part in weaving a new, stronger, more resilient social fabric.

It’s an ambitious goal. We want to inspire every person and every sector of the community—neighborhoods, congregations, government agencies, schools, civic organizations—to find new ways to bolster their relationships with children and teens. Once CONNECTIONS is firmly established in the hearts and minds of our communities, we think Howard County will become an extraordinary place for children—and adults—to live and grow. At the same time, we see CONNECTIONS serving as a model for other communities.

Our Vision

CONNECTIONS seeks to unleash and unite the people, institutions, and communities of Howard County to provide all young people with the Developmental Assets known to prevent high-risk behaviors and to promote thriving and health.

Across time, CONNECTIONS will facilitate the comprehensive transformation of communities so that Howard County becomes a national model for raising healthy, successful, and caring children and youth.

This is the vision of the Horizon Foundation, Howard County’s largest philanthropic organization; and Search Institute^SM, a national leader in documenting the building blocks of healthy development and communicating how everyone in communities can make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, families, and communities.

A Pioneering Approach

CONNECTIONS is designed to spur large-scale, significant, and long-term change. Here’s what sets it apart from other initiatives:

County-wide: This kind of approach to child development and community change has never been carried out on such a large scale—among more than a quarter million children and adults, across multiple villages and towns, and among all sectors of the communities, including schools, businesses, families, congregations, neighborhoods, civic organizations, law enforcement, and local government.

Experienced: Two successful organizations have joined forces to create CONNECTIONS. The Howard County-based Horizon Foundation brings local expertise, while the internationally known Search Institute brings the scientific foundation and practical innovations, expertise, and tools from work in hundreds of other communities during the past decade. But the most important partners in this initiative are the county’s communities themselves. While Horizon Foundation and Search Institute serve as facilitators, educators, and motivators, it is the residents of Howard County neighborhoods who will make CONNECTIONS a success.

Innovative: CONNECTIONS is using state-of-the-art knowledge about asset building and community building, tapping into a range of strategies, many of which have been used successfully elsewhere, and finding new and creative ways to incorporate them.

Scientific: With CONNECTIONS, we have a unique and tremendous opportunity—and obligation—to measure and evaluate community transformation over time. Thoughtful research and documentation will inform our progress, keep us accountable, and serve as a powerful source of learning for other communities and researchers.

Youth-oriented: Because we see young people as an untapped resource in community building, they will be urged to contribute to CONNECTIONS with their ideas, insights, and energy. Indeed, creating partnerships with young adults is one of the cornerstones of this initiative.

Inspirational: CONNECTIONS is focused on changing life in Howard County, Maryland. However, we expect the initiative to serve as an example of how youth and community-building projects can happen in other communities nationwide.

Long-term: CONNECTIONS is not a six-month project or a two-year pilot program. We are committed to this initiative long-term because we know that lasting social change happens over the course of years, not months.

Developmental Assets™ and Search Institute^SM are trademarks of Search Institute.