What is Youth Central?
Developmental Assets Among Olathe-Montrose
Youth
What is it to be a young person growing up in Montrose and Olathe
today? Most of us would agree that young people face major
challenges on their journey towards successful and productive
adulthood. What can we, as a community and as individuals,
do to help them?
A 1997 study of more than 2,000 students in Montrose and Olathe
suggest a new, hopeful direction. It calls on everyone -
parents, teachers, city leaders, and others - to begin
working together to provide young people with the
“developmental assets” they need to thrive and be
successful in life.
Developmental assets are building blocks that all children and adolescents need to grow up competent, caring, and healthy. When present, these assets protect young people from taking risks that endanger their health and their future. At the same time they promote positive behaviors that are valued by society.
Strong, vital, prospering youth are not born. They are raised by a community of people who provide the essential building blocks of development.
Therefore there is Youth Central.
Youth Central was created out of a community - wide response to
the survey results. It operates under a Board of Directors
made up of half adults and half adolescents.