Here at Kids Making It, we have developed a holistic and comprehensive youth development approach: the Tools for Life (TFL) Framework. This approach integrates eight evidence-based models and frameworks:
- Trauma-Informed Youth Development
- 40 Youth Developmental Assets
- Social Determinants of Health
- Community Resiliency Model
- Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Positive Childhood Experiences
- Strengths-Based Youth Development
- Positive Youth Development
Our approach blends Kids Making It’s core values and programs with key principles and strategies designed for positive growth. The goal of TFL is to empower young people to become resilient, independent, and engaged community members through woodworking, mentorship, educational support, and vocational training.
1. Core Understanding
- Trauma-Informed Care & ACEs/PCEs Balance: Recognize the impact of trauma and adverse experiences while actively fostering positive childhood experiences to support recovery and development.
2. Developmental Principles
- Youth Empowerment: Encourage active engagement in community and personal development, utilizing strengths-based approaches and the 40 Developmental Assets to promote well-being and positive outcomes for the young people we serve. Students each choose an internal asset to develop in themselves (i.e. responsibility, restraint, caring, peaceful conflict resolution, self-esteem, sense of purpose etc.). In regular check-ins with our students we discuss their progress in their chosen asset. We recognize that we see just a portion of our students’ lives and we recognize that for them to thrive, they need holistic support and encouragement.
- Strengths and Assets Focus: Identify and leverage each young person's strengths and interests, including through mentorship and regular discussions on personal growth. We encourage our students to explore and identify their strengths and interests, and through our check-ins we discuss with them how these can be applied in their growth and development.
3. Supportive Environment
- Addressing Social Determinants: Create stable, supportive environments that address social, economic, and environmental factors affecting youth. We work with our students, their families, and our community partners to address as many of these factors as we collectively can.
- Community and Resilience Building: Foster community ties and resilience through wellness-focused programs and peer support. We participate in outreach events and activities and are working to deepen our community engagement so we can better understand - and rapidly adapt to - changing community needs.