Posts

Four Ways Youth Social Capital is Mobilized

By Brian Lightfoot, Reprinted from the Search Institute More and more educators and youth-serving practitioners incorporate organizational and programmatic approaches to build youths’ social capital because embedding young people in relationship-rich environments fosters developmental relationships. Search Institute defines social capital as the resources that arise from a web of relationships, which youth can access and […]

Search Institute Report: Relationship-Focused Strategies for Connecting with Young People

By and Reprinted from the Search Institute As fall approaches, a return to the classroom can mean fresh opportunities for connecting with all students in meaningful ways. Educators and other youth-serving practitioners are busy making plans to return to the classroom, providing the perfect opportunity to consider tools and strategies that are proven to boost […]

The 4 People in Schools Who Students Are Most Likely to Call a Mentor

By Arianna Prothero, Reprinted from EducationWeek Ask educators and they’ll tell you that their students’ motivation to work hard and try their best in school is suffering. Eighty percent of teachers, principals, and district leaders surveyed in early 2023 by the EdWeek Research Center said that the pandemic had made their students less motivated. Mentoring […]

Surviving to Thriving: Developmental Relationships Are the Antidote to Youth Loneliness

By and Reprinted from the Search Institute Loneliness has reached epidemic levels in the United States, and it is hitting our young people hard. It’s a double punch for youth who have already experienced so much loss and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s no vaccine for loneliness. So what is the answer to the […]

Search Institute: Understanding the connection between developmental assets and developmental relationships

By and Reprinted from the Search Institute Young people are not problems to be solved. Nor are they defined by their risks or challenges. Every person has a wealth of strength and resilience, both within themselves and in their families and communities. But not everyone has equal access to the supports that nurture and grow […]

3 Simple Yet Powerful Ways to Build Relationships With Your Students

  Use these interactive strategies to build strong relationships with middle and high school students without sacrificing teaching time By Jori Krulder, Reprinted from Edutopia Twenty-five years ago, as a new teacher, I struggled to connect with students. Relationship-building wasn’t covered in my teacher credential classes, and with everything I was expected to cover in […]

Building Youth Potential Through Trust, Resources, and Going Deeper

By and reprinted from the Search Institute Adults can nurture and build youth potential by introducing young people to new opportunities in many ways: helping them to clearly articulate and plan for their goals, connecting them with new ideas, and guiding them through new experiences, to name a few. Activities, discussions, and assignments designed to […]

Relationships in Schools Are Central to Young People’s Growth

By and reprinted from the Search Institute Our world is changing rapidly, but one thing remains constant. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the educational challenges and adaptations it brought, the teacher-student relationship remains central to young people’s development. But how do parents view the importance of this relationship? Search Institute is sharing new data that […]

Going the distance: A longitudinal qualitative study of formal youth mentoring relationship development

Spencer, R., Drew, A. L., & Gowdy, G. (2023). Going the distance: A longitudinal qualitative study of formal youth mentoring relationship development. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23006 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Although community-based mentoring is an excellent approach to promoting positive youth-oriented outcomes (e.g., academic, behavioral, social, and emotional), the quality of the relationships […]

How educators can overcome barriers to building relationships

Reprinted from the Search Institute Schools are a place for learning, and a place for relating. Search Institute’s decades of research shows us that young people’s development is rooted in their community and in their relationships. When young people have high-quality, positive relationships with parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, and peers, they are more likely to […]