Working to create Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth

MIDDLETOWN » Middlesex United Way works year-round to help those in need in our community. One approach we are particularly proud of is our Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth initiative. Since starting in 2004, Middlesex United Way has been grown to providing over 85 percent of the towns across Middlesex County funding to implement this initiative. The towns that are presently taking part in this initiative are Chester, Cromwell, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, Essex Haddam, Killingworth, Meriden, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland and Wallingford.

The Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth initiative is a substance abuse prevention model that is based on the idea that the best way to help youth make positive choices is by cultivating healthy development. It’s about engaging youth with positive activities, role models and support systems they need at home, at school and in the community. It’s about building self-confidence and making our youth feel respected.

Every community is different with unique strengths and weaknesses, so our participating partners do what is right for their community by adapting the model to their population while staying within the guidelines and suggestions of the model. The success of this initiative is driven by community’s efforts to collaborate with schools, parents, students, elected officials, the nonprofit sector, police, business leaders and other various members of the community.

One of the main components of the HCHY initiative is the Search Institutes 40 Development Assets Survey. This survey is administered to middle and high schoolers every two to four years, and looks at 40 development assets that help young people grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible. Development assets help promote academic success, increase civic engagement, give youth the strength they need to make positive choices and are the building blocks of healthy development. When these surveys are complete, participants review the findings and then develop target action plans that will both address assets reported least by the students, as well as to help build on the assets they already possess.

Research continues to show that communities that successfully implement Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth have experienced a decrease in risky behaviors and an increase in healthy assets. Since 2005, substance abuse has decreased by 35 percent among youth. Due to these impressive results, our HCHY funding partners were provided an additional $384,500 in leveraged funds to continue to grow and improve the work being done. Data also shows reductions in other risky behaviors, such as anti-social behavior and violence.

Initiatives such as this, and the resources allocated to help the youth population, are because of donors and volunteers in this wonderful community. Middlesex United Way encourages all those who can to contribute so programs like this can continue.

COURTESY MIDDLESEX UNITED WAY A group of Middletown students attend a recent youth summit.