Although most social science research on adolescence emphasizes risks and challenges, an emergent field of study focuses on adolescent thriving. The current study extends this line of inquiry by examining the additive power of identifying and nurturing young people's "sparks," giving them "voice," and providing the relationships and opportunities…

"Kishoree Kontha" ("Adolescent Girls' Voices") was implemented in Bangladeshi villages to build the developmental assets (e.g., support from others, social competencies) of rural girls through peer education in social skills, literacy, and school learning. The Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) measured the project's impact on…

This book provides adolescents with strategies for building developmental assets that have been identified as crucial to success. The assets were identified using data from a survey of more than 250,000 students in grades 6-12. The 40 highlighted assets, grouped into two main types, are designated as either external or internal. The external…