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Conference Inspires Relationship Building Between Youth and Adults

(Howard County Connections)

By: Lisa Silverman

Throughout one’s educational career, you often learn many subjects that make you a well-rounded individual. However, after taking final exams, subjects like geometry often become useless. How many people can say they use the alternate interior angle theorem in everyday life?

The truth is, not many.

Howard County representatives at Search Institute’s Ninth Annual Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth Conference in Dallas, Texas

Education often comes from outside the classroom. At the Search Institute’s Ninth Annual Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth Conference in Dallas, Texas, 37 Howard County residents spent 3 days in an intense, yet fun learning environment to learn about promoting health and wellness in youth and strengthening the community. The conference focused on learning how to build relationships, valuing youth, making actions intentional, and the importance of intergenerational relationships.

The Howard County residents who spent November 3 to 5 in Dallas joined over 1,400 others from 10 different countries with a similar passion and drive to make a difference, or as the theme of the conference describes, “Be the change.” The participants are living proof of America’s melting pot. People of all ages, socio-economic levels, and cultures participated.

The conference conveyed the message that a collaborative effort through healthy relationship building is most important in the foundation of a community. The Howard County Connections Initiative of the Horizon Foundation has formed a partnership with the Search Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Search Institute is known for developing the 40 Developmental Assets, which it describes as, “… concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people.” Under the guidance of the Search Institute’s Developmental Assets framework, the local participants of the conference, along with many community members, are now the innovators and leaders for the initiative.

Everyone is inspired to use the knowledge they gained to make a difference in Howard County. Peggy Alexander, the Director of Howard County Connections said, “I think we are going to focus on intergenerational relationships because so much potential for Connections can come out of this type of work.”

Chisha Johnson, the Community Training Coordinator of the initiative said, “I am going to focus more carefully at the challenges Howard County youth are facing in all areas of their lives and see how the asset framework might provide some solutions. All sectors have to be involved in helping our youth be successful.”

The Connections Initiative is currently working with schools in Howard County to implement the Developmental Assets in the classroom environment. Michele Zurad, a former middle school teacher said, “My vision is to assist the Howard County teachers and staff in implementing the Developmental Assets into their classroom and help them understand that this framework is not an “add-on,” but a natural occurrence in good teaching.”

A Speaker’s Bureau has been developed to make presentations in the community. Presentations have already been made to Howard County parents, schools, youth groups and libraries. Susan Stonesifer, the manager of the Glenwood Public Library, is active in the asset movement. She said, “Here at the Glenwood Library, we will be looking for older adults to volunteer with us to help out with our children’s programs… Having older adults around enriches the children’s experience…”

Ms. Alexander has attended 5 of Search Institute’s annual conferences and said this year was the most successful. She explained, “The conference has made it clear to me that we have done a lot of planning and now we need to take action and be the change. Above all, we need to use our resources to create a web of support for young people.”

Various dynamic and passionate leaders spoke throughout the conference during workshops and assemblies. Dr. Peter L. Benson, the president of the Search Institute spoke about finding your passion. He said, “What is your spark? What choices have you made to keep it lit? Find, claim, own, and celebrate your spark.” Benson recognized the importance of associating yourself with people who can inspire you and who you can in turn inspire.

One speaker stood out more than others to many at the conference. Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children, began his work 10 years ago at the tender age of 12. While looking at the newspaper one day, Kielburger realized how important it is to stop world poverty. With the help of 7 friends, he began to make a difference. In his speech, Kielburger reminded us, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” Through his dedication, Kielburger and Free the Children have managed to build 400 schools to educate over 35,000 students in 40 different countries. Free the Children has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Angie Vecino, a junior at Wilde Lake High School, was touched by Kielburger’s words. She said, “He was inspiring because he made you think about what is going on in the world around you…”

Kielburger described the word “minga” as a coming together for the collective good. When he, along with the others at the conference tried to think of a synonym for the word, nobody could. This is a perfect example of a problem in American culture. Although community service is important, we do not have one common unified word to convey the message of unselfishness and working to help others as the word “minga” portrays. This aspect of community is more important than any other. As Howard County begins to embrace the Developmental Assets, hopefully it will use “minga” as a building block for strengthening the community.