Are you a parent? When your kids were born, didn’t you sometimes stare down at those miniature versions of yourself and wonder how they’d turn out? Maybe you fantasized that one day they’d grow up to lead your nation or your favorite sports team, to run a big company or find the cure for cancer, to crusade for peace or feed the hungry. Or maybe you just hoped they’d grow up healthy, happy, and successful at whatever they chose to do.

Not to burst the parental bubble, but according to a recent study on teen motivation and engagement in civic life, the vast majority of American kids lack the fundamental factors that combine to set them on any kind of positive life course.

Based on results of a national survey of 1,817 15-year-olds, sponsored by the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, researchers estimate only 7 percent of American teens experience the right balance of these three crucial interlocking concepts:

1. “Sparks.” This is the catchall name given to the individual talents, passions, and gifts that provide teenagers with the motivation and energy to successfully accomplish life goals. Nearly 35 percent of the teens surveyed couldn’t list a single spark in their lives.

2. “Teen Voice Index.” TVI measures how much teens believe their voices are heard on the specific issues they consider important. Only 18 percent of the teens polled were actively engaged in social issues of any kind.

3. “Relationship and Opportunities Index.” ROI focuses on the access teens have to high-quality resources and relationships that help them nurture their strengths. Only 12 percent of respondents had high ROI scores.

The study found that the scant 7 percent of teens who scored high on all three of these concepts were more likely to have a sense of purpose and great expectations for their individual futures than those who didn’t. And although 66 percent of the teens could identify at least one spark, fewer than 50 percent said they get support for their sparks from anyone outside their immediate families. But that leaves a lot of opportunity not only for parents, but for grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, teachers, and caring friends to step up and make a positive difference in their lives.