What is Asset Building?

Research has proven the direct link between assets and student achievement. No matter where or under what circumstances a child grows up, the more assets that child has, the more likely they are to succeed. The wonderful thing about Asset Building is that every member of the community can help to build them in youth. Alaska ICE promotes the shared responsibility of all members of the community to build assets in kids, and thus help to nurture successful adults.

To build assets, every child and teen needs connections with many supportive adults. The Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement works in schools, with tribes, with youth-serving programs, and with entire communities to assist Alaskans in creating a personal web of support for every young person through the power of Asset Building.

Assets are the key supportive strands in a young person's life that help them grow to be strong, caring and capable adults. The more assets a young person has, the more likely they are to succeed in school and be helpful, healthy and productive citizens. At the same time, the more assets, the less likely young people are to be involved with drugs, alcohol or other risky behaviors.

What are the assets?

The 20 external assets and 20 internal assets are shown below, adapted with permission from Search Institute.