Developing Assets to Grow (D.A.G.)

The purpose of D.A.G is to offer an opportunity to court involved at-risk adolescents toward becoming aware of expanding and changing their negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding themselves and others through the 40 developmental assets of support, empowerment, constructive use of time, learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity.

This activity will be a 6 day endeavor of camping and canoeing across the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota from July 26 through August 1, 2009. This activity will begin with 19 hours of non-stop driving from Dayton, Ohio to Grand Marais, Minnesota. Upon arrival to the site, each individual will be responsible for carrying his backpack (40 lbs), paddles, life jackets, and as a team, we will be hauling cooking utensils, about 60 lbs of dehydrated food, two tents, and four canoes during portaging. Our objective will be to canoe to various campsites every day until we circumnavigate the length of the lake, which is roughly 35 miles in distance. Participants will have to canoe an average of eight to ten hours per day, and portage for approximately five and a half miles.

On day one, after breakfast, each participant will be provided safety tips, rules for canoeing and boundary water regulations. Staff will counsel the participants on the importance of wearing life jackets whenever swimming or canoeing on the lake. After orientation, participants will be oriented on the 40 developmental assets. On this day, we will focus the developmental asset of Commitment to Learning, what the developmental assets are, why they are important, how they influence us, the differences between external and internal assets.

Upon arrival to each campsite, participants will set up tents, retrieve and boil water for drinking, collect firewood for a campfire and cooking. After dinner, a discussion group will be held to talk about the adversity of each expedition and the developmental asset theme for the day. In addition, participants will be provided a journal to write about their daily excursions, and identify what developmental assets building block helped them overcome the obstacles of day.

D.A.G will be used as a vehicle to develop members capabilities to the fullest, and in turn those members will have a positive influence on their communities, peers, families and most of all on their lives.

D.A.G. trip will consist of three staff and five participants, and the target age range will be males between 15 to 18 years old. These at-risk adolescents will be identified and refer to the D.A.G. by their case managers. Staff will conduct a meeting upon returning from the trip with all participants at which time they will be allowed to provide feedback on the experience, and staff will read through and evaluate the self-reported surveys to determine if the youth were positively effected by D.A.G.

The cost is $300.00 per person for the Voyageur Canoe Outfitters (Boundary Waters user fees, equipment, and permits). We have raised $1050 of the $2400 needed for this trip, and still need your help with a tax deductible donation. You may donate online by clicking here or call Carolyn at (937) 496-7800.

Luigi Dodieu,

Probation Officer Montgomery County Juvenile Probation