Youth Wellness

The District is committed to providing necessary resources to prevent behaviors that interfere with a student's development, to intervene when appropriate, and to provide support services to assist all students in their development. Williamsville's comprehensive Youth Wellness Program provides Education/Prevention, Intervention/Referral, and Support Services. Although programs and activities vary from school to school, all promote asset building and positive life choices for students.  

Each year a committee of parents, students, teachers, community members, and administrators oversees this proactive student assistance program. The Williamsville Youth Wellness Council ensures that a set of minimum programs and activities are carried out across the district. A Youth Wellness Facilitator is identified in each school to coordinate programs and activities with student needs. Please refer to the following reports for a comprehensive view of the reports produced under the guidance of the Wellness Council.  

Please see The Code of Conduct, The Wellness Report, and The Comprehensive Counseling Plan.

For further details regarding any of these reports, please contact the Office of Exceptional Education and Student Services at 716-626-8061.
 

Positive Youth Development

Williamsville Central School District has made a commitment to character education and student Wellness. Along these lines, we have embraced the ‘asset model’ of positive youth development.

Specifically, the Search Institute, a nationally known organization on youth and community wellness, has identified 40 positive experiences and qualities. All of us have the power to bring these qualities into the lives of children and youth. They are identified as developmental assets.

The assets are spread across eight broad areas of human development. These categories paint a picture of the positive things all young people need to grow up healthy and responsible.

While there is no ‘magic’ set number of required assets, we strive for all young people to possess between 31-40. The average for Williamsville Central School District students, grades 8-12, reported an average of 22 assets for the 2018 administration of the Search Institute Survey: Profile of Attitudes and Behaviors  © Search Institute (SM) 2002. Though this is not at a level commensurate with our target goal, the good news is that the assets are powerful and that everyone can build them (we call the intentional goal of helping youth develop these strengths "building assets").

In fact, there are countless examples of people making a positive difference in the lives of youth. Whether they know it or not, they are demonstrating what the Search Institute’s president, Peter Benson, calls the power of one- the potential for one individual to help, to heal, to support, to challenge, and to change, for the better, the life of a young person.

The developmental assets appeal to our common sense, so they are easy to understand. The 40 developmental assets are broken into two major categories: internal and external.

The 40 Developmental Assets

Reprinted with permission (Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute) © Search Institute (SM) 2002.
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