YORKTON - The Youth Resiliency Project that has been collecting data over the past few months will now focus on building a better picture of the local situation.
That was the message Yorkton Council heard Monday as SIGN Community Youth Worker Darran Teneycke made a presentation at its regular meeting Oct. 3.
The project has four main objectives, reminded Teneycke. Those are;
* Cultivate Community Readiness, Energy & Commitment
* Risk Reduction
* Positive Youth Development
* Effective Treatment & Support for Youth with Greater Needs
The key step so far has been to have a Developmental Asset Profile Survey completed in the spring with students in grades 6-12, said Teneycke.
The Developmental Asset Profile survey (DAP) is a 58 question survey that asked students about their experiences with their family, school and community.
Overall, 1406 students were surveyed with 1280 surveys considered valid.
Of the respondents 638 identified as male, 535 as female, 67 as transgender and 37 as being not sure.
In terms of ethnic identification 68 per cent stated white, 15 per cent First Nations, seven per cent Asian or Pacific Islander, two per cent black, two per cent South Asian and four per cent multiracial.
Teneycke said when the Young People’s Composite Assets score is looked at, the survey reveals that 34 per cent of youth scored in the Adequate and Thriving levels combined.
On the other end of the spectrum, 22 per cent of our youth scored in the lowest category (Challenged).
In addition, they have received a commitment from 17 Community Based Organizations or Ministry Departments to be part of Yorkton’s Alliance of Asset Champions.
A number of workshops have been provided to various schools and community-based organizations called Everyone’s An Asset Builder, he added.
As a follow-up they have facilitated community feedback sessions with Community-Based organizations, School Community Councils and school staffs.
The next important effort is to have feedback sessions with youth discussing the survey results, and that process has already started, said Teneycke.
Moving forward Teneycke said they will continue to gather feedback from youth on the survey results.
That effort will be followed by the creation of the Yorkton Alliance of Asset Champions comprised of youth and adults from the community, he said.
They will also provide more community information sessions to share survey results, and then follow that with the creation of a Community Plan.
