Posts

4 Simple Ways to Build Relationships With Your Students

High school students benefit from meaningful relationships with adults at school, and teachers can foster those ties in little ways every day. By Alex Brouhard, Reprinted from Edutopia Last year, my school’s social and emotional learning staff distributed a survey to every student, asking how connected they felt at school. Eighty-four percent reported feeling connected […]

Fostering Connections Promotes Positive Youth Development

Reprinted from the Search Institute Nurturing relationships are at the heart of what youth need to learn, grow, and thrive. Fostering connections between supportive adults and young people builds resilience and the ability for them to envision and create a positive future, even in cases of poverty, discrimination, COVID-19 isolation, substance abuse, neglect, or other […]

Helping Young People Develop Social Capital for a Successful Future

Reprinted from Search Institute Social capital consists of the resources that arise from a web of relationships that people can access and mobilize to help them improve their lives and achieve their goals. But how do you help young people to build their social capital? And why is it important? Social capital is one of the […]

Building Connection: Conversation Starters for Youth in Challenging Times

Reprinted from the Search Institute We’ve all noticed that young people seem to escape into their own world. And it’s not just the screens and headphones. Let’s face it, these are challenging times for young people—and for all of us, to be fair. It’s challenging to find common ground and share a positive future for […]

What is the “relationship gap” and why is it important?

Reprinted fom the Search Institute Helping Students Thrive: Closing the Relationship Gap in Schools and Youth Programs We can not thrive in isolation. For young people, relationships are vital, because they are fundamental to their development. Relationships with caring adults are especially important for young people, and yet data routinely show that they don’t experience […]

Developmental relationships and student academic motivation: Current research and future findings.

Scales, P.C., Pekel, K., & Houltberg, B.J. (2022). Developmental relationships and student academic motivation: Current research and future findings. In A.L. Reschly & S.L. Christenson (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Student Engagement (pp. 257-283). Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07853-8_13 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Evidence shows that student-teacher relationships in school settings are essential for motivation. […]

How a developmental relationships outlook can help us face our uncertain future

By Ben Houltberg, Ph.D., LMFT, President and CEO, Reprinted from the Search Institute Promoting resilience for young people is critical in the months ahead. This process begins with a clear definition of what it is and what it is not. Resilience Through Relationships  Let’s start with what resilience is not. Resilience is not a character […]

Can social capital promote work readiness in opportunity youth? New study has answers

Boat, A. A., Syvertsen, A. K., & Scales, P. C. (2021). The role of social capital in promoting work readiness among opportunity youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 131, 106270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106270 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Measure of America (a Social Science Research council program) discovered that roughly one in nine American youth between sixteen […]

Nurturing Inclusive Relationships in Schools and Out‑of‑School Time Programs

Reprinted from Search Institute Humans share a fundamental need to belong and feel included. Yet, too often, young people do not feel seen and welcome in their schools and programs. This is what we call a relationship gap—the distance between what young people need and what they experience. Creating a relational climate that is intentional, inclusive, […]

How “near-peer” relationships help young people develop social capital

By Ashley Boat, PhD, Reprinted from the Search Institute Social capital matters. Greater access to social capital can benefit all young people as they work toward their education and career goals. Social capital consists of the resources that arise from a web of developmental relationships, which people can access and mobilize to help them improve […]