ACT
Adults Children Together

Accept the commitment to nurture the world one child at a time by volunteering in your congregation, in your community, or in children's advocacy efforts.

4 hours for 40 assets

3 Way to Participate:

1) UNIFY to work for Children's Rights
The worth of children is one of the central insights of the Christian tradition and is reaffirmed in the Restoration.  The worth of persons is at the heart of our faith because the worth of persons is in the heart of God.  This is why Human Rights for all people, and especially for children, are very important to us also.  When the first disciples were arguing among themselves as to who was the greatest we see Jesus place a child in the middle of them and hugging the child, say, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Mark 9:33-37).

Our church seal portrays a little child leading us.  Children are our most precious resource.  Let us join together as a church to promote the holistic well being of all children everywhere by working both for their protection and their development.  A world safe for children of every race, culture and nation is a world good for all people.

We commend the work of the Human Rights Committee and invite you to become personally involved in this timely and critically important program.

The First Presidency

2) BECOME informed.

The more assets a child has from their family and community the less chance they have of going wrong.

Research at the Search Institute in minneapolis has looked at these four behaviors.  The at risk is estimated in the percentages terms as follows:

Number of Developmental Assets in a child's life	Problem use of alcohol	Illicit drug use	Sexual actvitity	Violence
0-10	53%	42%	33%	61%
11-20	30%	19%	21%	35%
21-30	11%	6%	10%	16%
31-40	3%	1%	3%	6%

Know the 40 Developmental Assets identified as critcial for the healthy development of youth.  The eight categories of the Assets are:  Support, Empowerment, Commitment to Learning, Boundaries and Expectations, Constructive Use of Time, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and Positive Identity.

Which asset will you work for?

3) ACT 4 hours for 40 assets.  Chose one then ACT!

Together we can change the world of a child!  Join with church members world-wide to accept the challenge of giving.

40 Developmental Assets

SUPPORT
1.   Family Support - Family life provides high levels of love and support.

2.    Positive family communications - Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).

3.    Other adult relationships - Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.

4.    Caring neighborhood - Young person experiences caring neighbors.

5.    Caring school climate - School provides a caring, encouraging environment.

6.    Parent involvement in schooling - Parent(s) is actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.

EMPOWERMENT
7.   Community values youth - young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.

8.    Youth as resources - Young people are given useful roles in the community.

9.   Service to others - Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.

10.    Safety - Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.

BOUNDARIES and EXPECTATIONS
11.    Family boundaries - family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person's whereabouts.

12.    School boundaries - School provides clear rules and consequences.

13.   Neighborhood boundaries - Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people's behaviors.

14.    Adult role models - Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.

15.    Positive peer influence - Young person's best friends model responsible behavior.

16.   High expectations - Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME

17.    Creative activities - Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.

18.    Youth programs - Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations.

19.    Religious community - Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.

20.    Time at home - Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per week.

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING
21.    Achievement motivation - Young person is motivated to do well in school.

22.   School engagement - Young person is actively engaged in learning.

23.    Homework - Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.

24.   Bonding to school - Young person cares about her or his school.

25.    Reading for pleasure - Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.

POSITIVE VALUES
26.    Caring - young person places high value on helping other people.

27.    Equality and social justice - Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.

28.    Integrity - Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.

29.    Honesty - Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy."

30.    Responsibility - young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.

31.    Restraint - Young person accepts and take personal responsibility.

SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
32.    Planning and decision making - Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.

33.    Interpersonal competence - Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.

34.    Cultural competency - Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.

35.    Resistance Skills - Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.

36.    Peaceful conflict resolution - Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.

POSITIVE IDENTITY
37.   Personal power - Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."

38.    Self-esteem - Young person reports having a high self-esteem.

39.    Sense of Purpose - Young perosn reports that "my life has purpose."

40.    Positive view of the future - Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

Back to Top
Back to ACT Resources