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Project Cornerstone ABC (Asset Building Champions)
One of our school plan goals this year is to research and implement a new character education that meets the changing needs of our students and teaches appropriate social skills. This year the staff and School Site Council have decided to adopt Project Cornerstone's Asset Building Champions program.
In Project Cornerstone's Asset Building Champions (ABC) program, parent volunteers read specially selected stories and lead classroom activities and discussions about building appropriate social skills. The lessons focus on values like honesty, responsibility, and peaceful conflict resolution, with special attention given to issues like student-to- student respect and avoiding becoming the victim of a bully.
The goal of the ABC program is to teach our children skills that they can use today and throughout their lives to help them deal with peer pressure, building and keeping friendships, making healthy decisions, and solving problems. By sharing these concepts in class, we create a common language and vocabulary about these issues for the entire school.
Each month, parent volunteers meet as a group to review the story and lesson plan they will present the following month. The commitment by a parent volunteer is about 3 hours a month; one for the parent group meeting, one at home preparing for the lesson and one in the classroom working with the students. For more information please see the link below.
Project Cornerstone Website
The 41 Assets
Project Cornerstone has a framework of 41 developmental assets that enhance the health and well-being of children.
| EXTERNAL ASSETS |
| SUPPORT |
| 1. FAMILY SUPPORT Family life provides high levels of love and support |
| 2. POSITIVE FAMILY COMMUNICATION Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s) |
| 3. OTHER ADULT RELATIONSHIPS Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults |
| 4. CARING NEIGHBORHOOD Young person experiences caring neighbors |
| 5. CARING SCHOOL CLIMATE School provides a caring, encouraging environment |
| 6. PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOLING Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school |
| EMPOWERMENT |
| 7. COMMUNITY VALUES YOUTH Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth |
| 8. YOUTH AS RESOURCES Young people are given useful roles in the community |
| 9. SERVICE TO OTHERS Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week |
| 10. SAFETY Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood |
| BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS |
| 11. FAMILY BOUNDARIES Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person's whereabouts |
| 12. SCHOOL BOUNDARIES School provides clear rules and consequences |
| 13. NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people's behavior |
| 14. ADULT ROLE MODELS Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior |
| 15. POSITIVE PEER INFLUENCE Young person's best friends-model responsible behavior |
| 16. HIGH EXPECTATIONS Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well |
| CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME |
| 17. CREATIVE ACTIVITIES Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts |
| 18. YOUTH PROGRAMS Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community |
| 19. RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution |
| 20. TIME AT HOME Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per week |
| INTERNAL ASSETS |
| COMMITMENT TO LEARNING |
| 21. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION Young person is motivated to do well in school |
| 22. SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT Young person is actively engaged in learning |
| 23. HOMEWORK Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day |
| 24. BONDING TO SCHOOL Young person cares about her or his school |
| 25. READING FOR PLEASURE Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week |
| POSITIVE VALUES |
| 26. CARING Young person places high value on helping other people |
| 27. EQUALITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty |
| 28. INTEGRITY Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs |
| 29. HONESTY Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy." |
| 30. RESPONSIBILITY Young person believes accepts and takes personal responsibility |
| 31. RESTRAINT Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs |
| SOCIAL COMPETENCIES |
| 32. PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices |
| 33. INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills |
| 34. CULTURAL COMPETENCE Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds |
| 35. RESISTANCE SKILLS Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations |
| 36. PEACEFUL CONFLICT RESOLUTION Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently |
| POSITIVE IDENTITY |
| 37. PERSONAL POWER Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me." |
| 38. SELF-ESTEEM Young person reports having a high self-esteem |
| 39. SENSE OF PURPOSE Young person reports that "my life has a purpose." |
| 40. POSITIVE VIEW OF PERSONAL FUTURE Young person is optimistic about her/his personal future |
| 41. POSITIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY Young person feels proud of her/his cultural background* |
| *Cornerstone established this asset through local community input. |