Two and a half years ago at the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) in Anaheim, CA, staff wanted to find a way to make asset-building more present in their everyday lives- both in and out of the learning center. 
They needed something small and they needed something that wouldn’t take too much time. And this is how they came up with the idea of wallet cards.
“One of the Search Institute staff suggested we have a discussion about how we could make a personal commitment in attitude and personal growth,” says Gyla Bell, Program Director, at TWLC. The staff got together a number of times and brainstormed “I will” statements about things they would do in their own lives when interacting with young people. “I will… say good morning, good afternoon and good evening,” “I will… respect all students’ values and ideas,” and “I will… get to know at least 10 students- their names and career interests,” are just a few of the many commitments written on the wallet cards.
The wallet cards are great for a number of reasons. It doesn’t take time out of the day to read what is on the cards- it only takes going to the grocery store or buying gas to pull out the wallet and be reminded of the simple yet important pledges written on the card. They are continual- they don’t just remind people once and then stop, they will always be there to prompt. And they are a great tool to bring from place to place, spread around, and replicate inexpensively at will.
“You can basically keep the wallet card on you at all times,” says Bell. “It can go beyond the walls of the learning center, at home, in another organization, you always have it, it’s readily available. And if it’s in a wallet card size, you can share it with other people. It can be given as a gift.” What better gift to give than handing out bite-sized ideas about what people can do to reach out to young people around them?
Gyla Bell, Program Director at TWLC, can be reached by phone at (714) 765-8040 and by email at gbell@twlc.org
