Winton Place Youth Center

Program Model

Developing assets, reducing risks

WPYC defines the educational and character developmental needs of children in positive terms, by striving to build the “developmental assets” – character strengths, educational results, community supports, and citizenship skills – of its participants.

While the assets are powerful shapers of young people's lives and choices, too few young people experience many of these assets. According to the Search Institute, having 31 or more assets is ideal for experiencing the greatest positive effects of assets. Yet only 9 percent of our youth have this level of protection.

WPYC also applies strategies that address well-understood risk and protective factors for youth. “Risk factors” are any circumstances that may increase youths’ likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors. Conversely, “protective factors” are any circumstances that promote healthy youth behaviors and decrease the chance that youth will engage in risky behaviors.

WPYC also responds to the substance and violence prevention needs of the community. The need for prevention is evident from the following national data:

• Drug use is prevalent among American teens: 4.9 million youth ages 12-17 report using illicit substances in the past year, and more than 1 million of these youth have a substance dependence disorder.
• From 1986 to 1996, the incarceration rate for youth ages 10-18 due to drug involvement increased 291%.
• From 1992 to 2001, juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations increased 121%, while adult arrests for similar crimes grew by 33%.
• Adolescents who were arrested were three times likelier to have used alcohol in the past month than teens in the general population, five and a half times likelier to have used marijuana and 18 times likelier to have used cocaine.
• In 1999, the estimated cost of one lost youth (evidenced by a juvenile crime career, adult crime career, drug abuse, costs imposed by high school dropout, and others) was between $1.7 million and $2.3 million.

For further information on these topics, please see:

Please contact Lucia Palmarini, Executive Director, to discuss how you can help our children.