The 40 Building Blocks

The 40 Building Blocks is our name for The Developmental Assets ®, a research-based model developed by Search Institute in 1990. Search Institute discovered, after doing hundreds of thousands of surveys across the county, that healthy, productive teens had more Developmental Assets®, or what we call "Building Blocks." These assets or blocks act as resources for a child, provide security, help youth to make wise choices, reduce the chance they will be involved in negative behaviors, and help them to grow up caring and responsible.

Search identified 40 Developmental Assets® or blocks and found that young people who had 31 or more were much less likely to be involved with problem behaviors such as early alcohol use, sexual activity, school failure, depression/suicide, and antisocial/violent behavior. They were also much more likely to exhibit school success and caring behavior.

Not every child will end up with all 40 blocks, but the more they have the better.

Everyone in the community can be a "Block Builder" - teachers, bus drivers, grocery store clerks, neighbors, youth providers, employers, parents and the list goes on. So, start building blocks today!

How Can Community Partnership Help You?

  1. Schedule a Building Blocks presentation for your group of employees, Sunday school class, teachers, youth staff, etc.
  2. Visit Community Partnership and see their large selection of Building Block books, videos, posters, bookmarks, material from Search, and much more. Most of these items are available for free, for loan, or for purchase.
  3. Borrow our Building Blocks costumes and skit, "Goldie Blocks and the Three Kids," and help spread the message.
  4. Schedule a meeting with our Building Block coordinator to learn more about this model.
  5. Subscribe to our free newsletter for on-going ideas as to how you can be a block builder. Or, click here, to view our recent newsletters.

Call Community Partnership at 888-2020 for more information!

Visit Search Institutes website www.search-institute.org and learn much more about the 40 Developmental Assets®. You can also request a catalog which features an extensive selection of books, videos and materials available for purchase.