A community’s or YMCA’s responsibility for its young does not end with the provision of external assets. There needs to be a similar commitment to nurturing the internal qualities that guide choices and create a sense of centeredness, purpose, and focus. Four categories of internal assets are included in the framework:
Commitment to Learning
§ Achievement motivation: Young person is motivated to do well in school.
§ School engagement: Young person is actively engaged in learning.
§ Homework: Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
§ Bonding to school: Young person cares about her or his school.
§ Reading for pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
Positive Values
§ Caring: Young person places high value on helping other people.
§ Equality and social justice: Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
§ Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
§ Honesty: Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy."
§ Responsibility: Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
§ Restraint: Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
Social Competencies
§ Planning and decision making: Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
§ Interpersonal competence: Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
§ Cultural competence: Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
§ Resistance skills: Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
§ Peaceful conflict resolution: Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
Positive Identity
§ Personal power: Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."
§ Self-esteem: Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
§ Sense of purpose: Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
§ Positive view of personal future: Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.