Celebrate National Child Day in Canada - November 20th

Did you know that National Child Day is celebrated in Canada on November 20th each year? National Child Day commemorates Canada’s adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, spelling out the basic human rights for children and youth.

Non-discrimination; best interests of the child; right to survival and development; and views of the child are foundational principles that the rights in the Convention are built on. As children grow, they have more responsibility to make choices and exercise their rights.

Because Canada has ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child, we are accountable to how our country is doing in ensuring every Canadian child is living a life reflected by these rights. Every four years Canada must report the status of children’s rights in our country to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The role of the committee is to examine progress made by countries who have signed the Convention in fulfilling their obligations. What is interesting about the Convention for the Rights of the Child is that it is the only international treaty that offers non-governmental organizations an opportunity to report to the UN Committee. This means that organizations outside of government who working directly with children and famlilies have an opportunity to report on the status of children's rights in Canada.

Celebrate National Child Day to acknowledge children as assets to our community and our obligation to ensure they are actively engaged in what happens in their lives. You can celebrate by learning about rights yourself and by teaching them to the children in your life.

For more information about National Child Day click here. To access a kit for National Child Day activities click here.

The Hopeful Message of the 40 Developmental Assets

Everyone has the power to help young people succeed

The secret to helping children and youth grow into happy, healthy, and responsible adults isn’t really a secret at all. Simply make a point to connect with young people: Get to know them, talk to them, understand them, help them, and build relationships with them. As a caring, trusted adult, you’ll be better able to provide the building blocks young people need to succeed and reach their goals. Adult role models, guides, and friends are very important to young people. With your help, young people can begin to understand themselves and the world around them. We all know growing up isn’t always easy. That’s why young people need adults like you in their lives.

Here are the facts

Research from Search Institute identifies 40 Developmental Assets that have a powerful, positive impact on young people. Children and teenagers who have high levels of these assets get involved in fewer risky behaviors and are much more likely to exhibit the positive values, such as leadership, good health, diversity, and success in school. The bad news is most young people don’t have enough assets. About 59 percent of young people, ages 11–18, have 20 or fewer Developmental Assets, according to Search Institute surveys. The good news is we can change this because we all have the power to build assets in young people’s lives.

Understanding Developmental Assets

The eight asset categories Search Institute has found crucial in helping young people grow up healthy include:

• Support: Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate, and accept them.
• Empowerment: Young people need to feel valued and valuable. This happens when youth feel safe and respected.
• Boundaries and Expectations: Young people need clear rules, consistent consequences for breaking rules, and encouragement to do their best.
• Constructive Use of Time: Young people need opportunities—outside of school—to learn and develop new skills and interests with other youth and adults.
• Commitment to Learning: Young people need a sense of the lasting importance of learning and a belief in their own abilities.
• Positive Values: Young people need to develop strong guiding values to help them make healthy life choices.
• Social Competencies: Young people need the skills to interact effectively with others, to make difficult decisions, and to cope with new situations.
• Positive Identity: Young people need to believe in their own self-worth and to feel they have control over the things that happen to them.

Each of these categories involves several specific assets that help young people grow up healthy.

Tips for building assets

In your home and family: Post a list of the 40 Developmental Assets on your refrigerator door. Each day, do at least one thing to build assets for each family member.

In your neighborhood and community: Learn the names of the young people who live around you. Find out what interests them, and ask them about those interests.

In your school or youth program: Plan asset-building activities as part of the curriculum or program. For example, engage young people in service-learning projects, social skills training, or reading for pleasure.

Want to know more about the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit www.search-institute.org/assets.

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Developmental Assets^® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute^®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.