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America's Promise Founding Chairman General Colin L. Powell
Announces Campaign to Discover the "100 Best Communities for
Young People"
America's Promise Bulletin, May 19,
2005
Today,
General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret), on behalf of America’s
Promise, announced the launch of a national campaign to identify
the “100 Best Communities for Young People.” Local leaders from
across the country will have the next two months to apply for
this prestigious award created by America’s Promise – The
Alliance for Youth, the nonprofit organization General Powell
founded in 1997.
The “100 Best Communities for Young People” initiative will
bring together the resources of the private and public sectors
to identify communities that deliver healthy, safe and caring
environments that effectively educate young people and help them
become productive citizens. Communities will apply for the award
using an application based upon research conducted by the
National Academies of Science,
Search Institute,
Academy for Educational Development and
Child Trends. The entries will be evaluated this summer by a
renowned group of the nation’s top education, civic, business
and nonprofit leaders.
“We now live in a world that is flat — and increasingly
competitive. Our future as a nation truly hinges on how well we
prepare our children and youth to succeed in today’s global
economy. It’s time that we join forces and recognize communities
that empower their children and allow them to reach their
potential,” said General Powell.
The America’s Promise Alliance is launching the program in
partnership with Capital One Financial Corporation. Its
Executive Vice President John Finneran attended today’s
announcement along with U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and
CEO Tom Donohue and America’s Promise Chair Alma Powell. Members
of America’s Promise Alliance have also taken leading roles in
the initiative, including the Corporation for National and
Community Service, United Way of America, American Association
of School Administrators, The Forum for Youth Investment and
Search Institute.
“At United Way, our experience tells us that it takes the whole
community – working together – to focus on what matters most to
help young people achieve their dreams,” said Brian Gallagher,
President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America.
“United Way’s mission to improve people’s lives includes people
of all ages,” he continued. “The ‘100 Best’ campaign will shine
a national spotlight on the communities across the country that
truly embrace the importance of promoting healthy development of
our children – from birth to early adulthood.”
Communities can learn more about the national search and apply
for the award at
http://www.americaspromise.org/. Applications will be
evaluated based on criteria related to America’s Promise’s five
essential promises to young people: caring adults, safe places,
a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to help
others.
Winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of civic,
business and nonprofit leaders and will include a broad cross
section of communities, reflecting the rich fabric of America.
Communities named to the “100 Best” list will be recognized at a
gala celebration in Washington, D.C., in September.
“The ‘100 Best’ campaign will include communities of all types —
urban, rural, inner-city, suburban, large and small — from every
region of the country,” said Marguerite W. Sallee, president and
CEO of America’s Promise. “This award is less about the past and
more about encouraging every community in America to be a great
place to grow up.”
Key Questions
& Answers About "100 Best Communities for Young People"
Why should your community apply?
Through the "100 Best Communities for Young People", localities
of types and sizes will receive well-deserved national
recognition for their youth-focused practices and policies.
By applying for the "100 Best Communities for Young People",
your community will:
-
Gain
national and local media attention for your efforts
-
Help its
outstanding programs get the attention they deserve for their
long-term success
-
Help
communities share creative, successful ideas from each other.
-
Encourage
every community in America to be a great place to grow up.
Who is eligible to apply for the "100 Best Communities for Young
People?
Any community is eligible to apply. “Community” is defined as
any town, city or local jurisdiction within the United States or
U.S. territories; including Native American reservations, Puerto
Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Local jurisdictions include
legally defined geographic areas of counties, boroughs, school
districts and other locally recognized boundaries. Applications
will be accepted through Friday, July 29.
When will the "100 Best Communities for Young People" be
announced?
Communities named to the “100 Best” list will be announced in
September and will be recognized at a special gala reception in
Washington, DC this fall.
What are the judges looking for in the "100 Best Communities for
Young People"?
America’s
Promise believes that the more support young people receive from
their community the more likely they are to be successful.
Every child needs a caring adult role model in his or her life;
a safe place to learn and grow; a healthy start; an opportunity
to learn marketable skills through effective education; and
opportunities to help others. These are the Five Promises that
America's Promise strives to fulfill for every child. The Five
Promises served as the guiding principle in developing criteria
for “100 Best Communities for Young People”
campaign.
How were the criteria for selection as one of the nation's "100
Best Communities for Young People" developed?
Leading researchers and practitioners in the youth development
field – including representatives from the
United Way of America,
the Search Institute,
Child Trends,
The Forum for Youth Investment,
Just Kid Inc.,
the Corporation for National and Community Service and
America’s Promise – developed criteria for selecting the 100
Best Communities. These criteria include both objective measures
and subjective assessments centering on the innovativeness of
local initiatives and their positive impact on young people.
(Please see the enclosed sheet for more detailed information
about selection criteria.)
Will the "100 Best" list be demographically and geographically
balanced?
The “100 Best” will be divided among five regions of the
country. Honorees will include communities of all types and
sizes: urban, rural and suburban; large and small. Communities
of all sizes are strongly encouraged to apply.
Will young people play any role in the decision-making process?
America’s Promise feels it is important to include the
perspective of young people on the selection committee. The
president of
Circle K International (the collegiate student affiliate of
Kiwanis) and a college student currently serving on the
America’s Promise Board of Directors will serve on the selection
panel. Additionally, America’s Promise encourages young people
to visit
http://www.americaspromise.org/ to see how they can urge
their local leaders to apply. Also, testimonials from young
people are a required part of each community’s application.
Can individuals, civic groups or non-governmental organizations
apply on behalf of their communities?
Yes. Individuals, civic groups or non-governmental
organizations are encouraged to collaborate with government
organizations to apply. These applications that have
representation from multiple sectors will be more competitive
because the information they provide will be more
comprehensive. The America’s Promise Web site –
http://www.americaspromise.org/ – will provide visitors with
information on how to contact their local officials and get
involved with this important effort.
How can individuals get involved with this effort?
The America’s Promise Web site
will provide information and resources for people who want to
make sure that their communities apply. America’s Promise
encourages people to ask their local leaders to compete for this
designation.
What roles will the corporate sponsors play during the campaign?
Capital One is the major financial sponsor of the campaign.
Other private and nonprofit partners have played leading roles
in the development and promotion of the program, including
Comcast,
USA Today and
Radio One.
Will America's Promise provide support for "100 Best
Communities" applicants?
In an effort to make
the application process as simple and streamlined as possible,
an America’s Promise “100 Best” Support Team is available via
phone at
1-800 365-0153
to help communities with the application so that their stories
are told effectively. Applications are available online at
http://www.americaspromise.org/.
Distinguished Panel to Select the "100 Best Communities for
Young People"
The following judges have been confirmed as of May 19, 2005:
Hal Cato, Executive Director, Oasis Center
Troy Dibley, President, Circle K International
Thomas Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Brian Gallagher, President and CEO, United Way of America
Stephen Goldsmith, Partner, Knowledge Universe; Chairman,
Corporation for National and Community Service; Daniel Paul
Professor of Government and Director of The Innovations in
American Government Program at Harvard University's Kennedy
School of Government
Robert Goodwin, President and CEO, Points of Light Foundation;
Board Chair, National Human Services Assembly
Paul Houston, Ed.D., Executive Director, American Association of
School Administrators
Kathryn Kendall, Board of Directors, Youth Partnership Team,
America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth
Alfred Liggins, III, President and CEO, Radio One, Inc.;
Chairman, TV One, LLC
Suzanne Morse, Ph.D., Executive Director, Pew Partnership for
Civic Change
Larry Naake, Executive Director, National Association of
Counties
Alma Powell, Chair, America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth
Cal Ripken, Jr., Founder, Ripken Baseball, Inc.; Executive Vice
President, Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation
Robert Rogers, Chairman Emeritus, Ewing Kauffman Foundation
Timothy Russert, Washington Bureau Chief/Moderator of Meet the
Press, NBC News
Donna Shalala, President, University of Miami
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