MARQUETTE — The Great Lakes Center for Youth Development (GLCYD) has released its bi-annual Youth Asset Report.

The report focuses on the results from the nearly two thousand students who were surveyed in two different surveys. The results show the large impact that developmental assets have on our youth.

“Research proves and our data is showing locally that relationships matter,” said GLCYD President and CEO Amy Quinn, “whether it is a formal mentoring relationship, whether it’s informal tutoring, visiting the school, helping youth by allowing them to read to you. Relationships and being connected is such a key and that’s something that we’re finding here through this data.”

The Youth Asset Report gives schools, parents, and the rest of the community an opportunity to understand what is happening with adolescents and what can help give them an environment to succeed. The longitudinal data helps the school systems recognize trends to help their students.

“It implies that the programs that we’re doing, the police are doing and the community are doing for our students is having an effect so that’s good,” said M.A.R.E.S.A. Superintendent Deborah Veiht, “we look for both the good in the report and the areas we’d like to shower up the assets for the students. It’s research based, and the longitudinal part is really what we count on and then we can use that as solid data in school improvement plans, discussing with parents and definitely with grants. We use these all the time as grant resources.”

To find a link to see all of the results and what you can do for the youth in your community click here.