CEO: Let's Focus on Asset Development For Kids

I have three kids, and throughout their lives, I have always wanted to provide the best opportunities for them.

How do you know what programs, opportunities and care provide the best enrichment for your kid?

The YMCA has an entire department at our national offices in Chicago responsible for improving the quality of our programs. That is why you see us change program models and design from time to time. Here’s one example that happened a few years ago: The Y updated its swim lessons program model. They are significantly better than they were before and are probably the best you can find.

A lot of what we do is based on "the developmental assets," which were developed by the Search Institute, based right here in Colorado. The Search Institute has researched the internal and external assets a child needs to be successful. This list is known as the 40 Developmental Assets.

There are internal and external assets, such as:

Family support: Parent(s) and/or primary caregiver(s) provide the child with high levels of consistent and predictable love, physical care and positive attention in ways that are responsive to the child’s individuality.

Motivation to Mastery: The child responds to new experiences with curiosity and energy, resulting in the pleasure of mastering new learning and skills.

These are two from their early childhood, ages 3-5, chart.

The developmental assets are clear and serve as a checklist of sorts for us as parents. But as parents, you are not alone in your efforts to uplift your kiddos.

At the YMCA of Northern Colorado, we think about our childcare and youth programs in terms of how they fulfill the developmental assets — creating a continuum of developmental support for your kids.

We all know that an infinitesimal number of our kids will actually get college money for sports, but as parents, we still encourage our children to play and work hard at sports. Why? Because there are values and character traits to be gained by participating in sports. At the Y, we believe in the power of sports as well. We know that kids can discover empowerment and support within our sports programs. They are given opportunities to learn new skills and to interact with new social groups. Really, it’s less about skills and more about developing the support and strengths that they need to succeed in life.

The same goes for camp and preschool and swim lessons and teen programs. At the Y, we want to develop a community of kids and young people who have the skills they need to overcome challenges, to find strength in their values and to thrive.

Thank You, 
Chris Coker 
CEO/President of YMCA of Boulder Valley