"The Pennridge, Pennsylvania, Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth 40 Assets Coalition launched a Scheduling Our Kids Lives task force that was created because many folks concluded that it was difficult for youth to build developmental assets in the frenzied pace of contemporary family life. Youth were complaining that they were so over-involved in sports, clubs, church, and other things that there was little time left for just "hanging" with family or doing other valued things. They were often forced to compromise among competing priorities, thus feeling perpetually unsatisfied. And their parents, many feeling guilty that they were not doing enough, were on the verge of emotional and physical exhaustion.

The task force met formally two times, the first a panel of community representatives from the various sectors responsible for youth socialization and a large group of interested parents and other community stakeholders. There was a doctor, several educators, a minister, an adolescent mental health person, the 40 Assets community mobilizer, a sports association representative, and of course youth on the panel. The panel discussion yielded some interesting dialogue about some of the community priorities and highlighted the over-scheduling problem.

At the second meeting, a smaller subset of the first group met to operationalize the problem areas and create an action plan that is in the process of being compiled. At a follow-up meeting the group with approve a final action plan which will be disseminated to the community at large in order to secure voluntary participation in concrete steps that the group hopes will address the problem and help more folks put family life first."