Transformation, Affirmation, and Blended Models

Abstract

The central purpose of our study was to explore the range of approaches used by the eight Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth (HC • HY) initiatives in their efforts to implement the Developmental Assets framework. We discovered a fascinating array of strategies used across the initiatives, including approaches that were common to the eight community sites and others that were unique to one initiative or another. The overarching story emerging from our analysis is one of transformation, affirmation, and blended (or braided) models. Transformation refers to the dramatic changes in community life and functioning that are required to effectively promote healthy youth development. We heard hopeful stories of perceived transformation in action and concerned stories about how far a community needs to move in order to achieve the transformation necessary to accomplish an initiative’s aims. We also heard repeated examples of affirmation, in which HC • HY participants described the asset framework as affirming their already held beliefs and behaviors regarding what was important and essential for healthy youth development. But affirming one’s actions and point of view is one thing; turning that affirmation into a cohesive community-wide effort is quite another. The stories of affirmation included here center on efforts to translate convictions into sustainable processes shared by progressively larger proportions of the community. Finally, blended models represent efforts to connect the Developmental Assets with existing prevention and intervention approaches by blending or braiding particular aspects of different frameworks. A key question that stems from this finding is this: How can we use a Developmental Assets approach in different ways in response to different levels of youth need? In other words, how do we adapt and customize a Developmental Assets approach and integrate it with prevention and intervention efforts when youth clearly need all three responses?