Youth Development is a strength-based approach to improving young people's lives and health outcomes by improving their "assets". San Mateo County's Health Department adopted the "41 Developmental Assets" as a framework for working with young people. The Search Institute (of Minneapolis) identified the 40 Developmental Assets through research as the "building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up into healthy, caring and responsible adults". Project Cornerstone (of Santa Clara County) established the need for the 41st Developmental Asset through community outreach and input. Research draws a direct relationship between assets and high-risk behavior; the more assets a young person has, the less likely they are to engage in high-risk activities such as violence and drug abuse. The Health Department recognizes that efforts to build and strengthen young people's assets will have positive impact on their health and wellbeing. In addition, the Health Department is committed to working with communities and organizations within San Mateo County to increase the number of youth-adult partnerships, influence positive school climates and build a sense that the community values its youth. The San Mateo County Youth Commission is a clear example of positive youth development in practice. The 2006-07 Youth Commission developed policy recommendations based on the 2005-06 Youth Commission's countywide needs assessment survey, and presented them to the Board of Supervisors in February 2007 as part of the San Mateo County Adolescent Report 2007. The Youth Commission has also published Policy-Level Recommendations for Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council Bill of Rights for the Children and Youth of San Mateo County. The Youth Commission is a project of Youth and Family Enrichment Services', Youth Development Initiative (YDI) and is supported by Health Department resources.   For more information about the Health Department's Youth Development initiatives, please contact: SaraT Mayer, MPP; Director of Health Policy and Planning; smayer@co.sanmateo.ca.us 2007-08 San Mateo County Youth Commission - Public Meetings Date: 4th Thursday of every month (First meeting on August 23, 2007) Time: 6:15 - 8:15 p.m. Location: Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Connection Room (1700 El Camino Real, San Mateo) Contact: Heather Storer, heather.storer@yfes.org, 650-401-8617, x19   Additional Youth Development Resources, Frameworks or Models: Roger Hart's Ladder of Young People's Participation (http://www.freechild.org/ladder.htm) The Community Action Framework for Youth Development Authors: Michelle Alberti Gambone, Ph.D., and James P. Connell, Ph.D. The Prevention Researcher; Volume 11, Number 2, 2004, Pages 17-20 QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS? Please feel free to contact us regarding our work or website at asajuthi@co.sanmateo.ca.us. Para información en Español, favor de comunicarse con Doris Estremera al número (650) 573-2208. QUICK LINKS HPP HOME PAGE ABOUT HPP Who are we? HPP Unit Plan  HPP Internship Program REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS  HEALTH DISPARITIES INITIATIVES Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention Task Force Get Healthy San Mateo County (GHSMC) Task Force Linguistic Access to Health Care Assessment Youth Development ACCESS & POLICY INITIATIVES San Mateo County Aging Model Blue Ribbon Task Force on Adult Health Care Coverage Expansion Health and the Built Environment HOME Team Children's Health Initiative UC Cooperative Extension