LaSalle High School students (from left) Heather LaVake, Austin St. Louis, Catelyn McLean, Kelsey Putnam, Christi Therrian, and Stephanie Damron attend the EUP Youth Summit September 24 at Lake Superior State University. (Photograph courtesy of Joyce Belonga) Honesty, integrity, responsibility, family support, and a positive view of the future are what Eastern Upper Peninsula teens believe are the building blocks of a healthy life, according to a report released by the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development in Marquette.

The report, based on a survey taken by 1,135, eighth, 10th, and 12th grade students in Chippewa and Mackinac counties in the spring of 2007, is designed to offer a "snapshot" of what youth are feeling and experiencing in their respective communities.

Students took the "Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors" survey, which targets 40 developmental "assets" in eight categories, that relate to how the students feel about themselves and how they feel about the support they get from others in the community. For instance, students were asked whether they can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations, and whether their best friends model responsible behavior.

The purpose of the survey is to develop a positive relationship in the community between the youth and adults, said Joyce Belonga of MSU Extension.

"It's really the whole community working together," she said. "The next phase is to develop that relationship."

The top five common assets local students identified in themselves and their communities were that they are optimistic about their personal future (69%), they believe they act on convictions and stand up for their beliefs, (67%), their family lives provide a high level of love and support (65%), they tell the truth, even when it is not easy (64%), and that they believe they accept and take responsibility for themselves (61%).

The assets they identified least in themselves and their communities were being involved in creative activities (16%), which is spending three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts, believing that the community values youth (22%), believing that parents and other adults model positive, responsible behavior (22%), believing that young people are given useful roles in the community (23%), and reading for pleasure three or more hours a week (23%).

Researchers believe that students who identify with more assets experience more success in life. Those who agree with more than half of the 40 assets are said to be less prone to risk-taking behavior, like drug and alcohol abuse.

According to the survey results, less than half of the students surveyed in Chippewa and Mackinac counties (35%) identify with 21 or more of the assets, while 23% identify with 10 or fewer assets.

Paul Olson, Youth Development Associate at the Great Lakes Development Center, said the results of students surveyed in the two counties are similar to the results of students across the country.

"We found that when we compare those numbers to other schools, there really is not a huge difference. We feel fairly comfortable that we get a snapshot of the kids in the whole community," he said.

Mr. Olson said the developmental assets survey, developed by the Search Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been done in more than 1,000 communities nationwide and shows the results of small population communities are similar to that of big cities.

Researchers suggest simple acts, such as communicating with family and friends, volunteering, greeting a neighbor, and reading for pleasure, are easy ways young people can increase the total number of their "assets."

"It's pretty easy to figure out what you can do to change," Mr. Olson said.

Parents can discuss positive assets with their children and regularly do things with their children, including service projects.

Organizations and businesses can look for meaningful opportunities for youngsters to contribute, and provide flexible work schedules so employees can volunteer for youth development programs.

Sidebar Survey

In addition to the Profiles of Student Life survey, students also took a "Sidebar Survey" developed to collect additional information about students' post high school plans, access to substances, nutrition, and Internet use and safety.

Ninety-three percent of students surveyed plan to participate in some form of post high school education and 63% plan to pursue a four-year degree.

Almost half of students surveyed (45%) feel it is wrong for someone their age to drink, while more than half feel it is wrong to smoke cigarettes and marijuana, 59% and 63%, respectively.

Two-thirds (67%), however, reported it to be very easy to obtain alcohol, and 81% reported the same for cigarettes, according to the sidebar survey results. Onethird reported they got drunk at least once in the last month.

The survey results also show that most students don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. Only 19% reported eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

EUP Youth Asset Summit

Thirty-three students from seven school districts in Chippewa, Luce, and Mackinac counties gathered at the Cisler Student and Conference Center at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie September 24, to discuss the strengths of their communities and how to be strong community assets.

Students who attended the EUP Youth Asset Summit studied the results of the "Profiles of Student Life" survey to determine what they considered to be the greatest strengths and areas of concern for youth development in the tri-county area. Ms. Belonga said students at the summit discussed and voted on which areas they felt were strengths and areas of concern.

The areas they identified as strengths are that they feel safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood, that the school provides clear rules and consequences, and that they feel they have control over their lives.

Areas of greatest concern are that adults in the community don't value youth, that too few youth believe it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs, and that too few students believe their life has a purpose.

The students from LaSalle High School who attended the Youth Summit also attended roundtable meetings November 7 and December 7 to discuss how to present their findings to the community. Ms. Belonga said a presentation, open to the public, for the students to share their findings will be scheduled for early 2009.

All the questions asked of the students can be seen in a report of the Marquette-Alger County Schools survey at www.soyreport. org.