About Search Institute
Fifty Years of Discovering What Kids Need to Succeed
Search Institute is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities.
Download our fact sheet.How Do We Work? Search Institute helps people understand what kids need to succeed and to take action based on that knowledge. We do this by:
• Conducting high-quality research and evaluation that deepens knowledge of young people, what they need, and how to care for and work with them more effectively.
• Providing tools, resources, and services to equip parents, educators, youth workers, policy makers, and other leaders to create a world where all young people are valued and thrive.
• Collaborating with partners (foundations, corporations, schools, communities, faith-based organizations, and other systems) to broaden and deepen commitments, capacity, and effectiveness in fostering healthy development and thriving among children and adolescents.
Whom Do We Serve?
Search Institute serves all sectors of society, including K–12 and higher education, faith communities, youth-serving organizations, social-service organizations, families, businesses, and the public sector.
• Nearly 600 communities in 45 states and 5 Canadian provinces have initiatives based on Search Institute’s developmental-assets approach.
• In the past decade, approximately 6 million people have attended an asset-building presentation, and 300,000 people have received asset-building training. About 3 million young people in thousands of communities have been surveyed since 1990.
• In 2009, multiple schools and communities have begun practical application of Search Institute’s latest innovation in child and youth development: sparks and thriving.
Order the Book
Sparks is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine booksellers. Order Now!
Peek Inside
Watch the video
Dr. Benson discusses Sparks.
Tell us about your spark
What do you bring to the world that is good, beautiful, and useful? Share. . .
What people are saying
Lots of people have read the book—here's what they have to say.
Downloads & Resources
Conversation Starters - includes thoughts on finding the right moment and follow-through