Red Deer coalition helps children and youth develop qualities to thrive We are excited to announce our Simple Connections Stronger Families event February 9th 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 pm. at the YMCA. When we practice gratitude, engage as a family, eat meals together, and grow together, we help our children to grow up caring, responsible and healthy.  This is the key focus of  Strengthening Positive Assets & Resiliency in Communities (SPARC) coalition. There are 40 developmental assets that SPARC wants to educate the community about.  Research shows the higher number of assets a young person has, the more likely they are to succeed in school, make better decisions, have better coping skills and have better overall health. Developmental assets can be both external and internal, and range from family support, a caring neighbourhood, service to others, safety, creative activities, school engagement, integrity, honesty, interpersonal competence and self-esteem. There are many ways for families to promote asset-building at home, but many may be unsure of exactly what development assets are, or how to support their children in building them. To support families, SPARC is hosting our Simple Connections Stronger Families event. Open to all families who want to build resilience and connect.  Thanks to the YMCA for hosting this event. Come out and experience a variety of asset-building activities together. The event is entirely free. To register, go to www.sparcreddeer.ca and click on the Events Tab.