(L-R) Susan Coates, Language Arts educator; Ryan Altus, 2^nd place; Tom Jackson, RTM Optimist Club President; Brian Kenney, 1^st place; Shea Kraft, 3^rd place; Chrissa Kuntz, Language Arts educator.

Penncrest High School students have many opportunities to show off their writing skills. In doing so, they must use the best format, proper punctuation, and spelling. They rely on teachers to develop these skills, discover their gift for expression and then to find an outlet for possible recognition. Dr. Meg Barney, RTM Research & Development along with two teachers, Susan Coates and Chrissa Kuntz, both Language Arts Educators, did just that. Three young writers entered their essays into The Media Optimist Club’s Essay Contest and won 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd Place! Shea Kraft won 3 rd Place, Ryan Altus won 2 nd Place and Brian Kenney took 1 st Place.

Congratulations to all!

This HCI Column regularly highlights individuals or organizations in the community working hard to build The 40 Developmental Assets, and this example is chock full of assets! Let’s discuss a few:

Internal Assets- What feelings or ideas are inside a Teen/ Adult

Asset # 3 Other Adult Relationships - The teacher-student relationships created the venue for expression of the teen’s relationships with others in his/her life that made a positive impact.

Asset # 17 Creative Activities - For teens, writing in journals, on a blog, in emails or even in a more open way like an essay contest, offer ways to be expressive, find deeper meaning to feelings, work out solutions to problems, or even discover peace of mind.

Asset # 18 Youth Programs - HCI offers a way for teens to be involved in positive programs and events, learn skills that will be useful in their high school days and beyond, plus build relationships with people who could make a real difference in their lives.

External Assets- What’s in the Community that affects Kids/Adults

Asset # 28 Integrity – HCI congratulates the Optimist Club, as an organization that recognizes the impact of attitude in a person’s life and honors those who stand up and share something positive with others- the essay contest affords these students the chance to do that.

Asset # 30 Responsibility – The RTM Staff take responsibility to teach, mentor and inspire the students to grow in their classroom experience not only skill-wise but personally too. The essay contest affords that opportunity and the encouragement from teachers builds confidence in the students too.

Asset # 34 Cultural Competence – Identifying what students can do to be more exposed to cultural diversity is a challenge the RTM staff takes seriously. By showcasing their writing skills and ability to share emotions, the staff has given the students a gift they don’t yet realize as such, but will someday be able to use in their careers and personal lives.

For information on HCI and The 40 Developmental Assets,
visit www.hci-rtm.org