Prosser named one of the '100 Best Communities for Young People'
AMERICA'S PROMISE ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE -- Prosser today was named one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING. The national award was given to Prosser to recognize its outstanding and innovative work in addressing the high school dropout crisis and for its programs and services that make it an outstanding place for youth to live, learn and grow.
Second-time 100 Best winner Prosser was honored again for its commitment to providing a range of health services and after-school programs for youth. Safe Babies Safe Moms, which operates in the Prosser Memorial Hospital Medical Center’s Family Birthplace facility, offers services to pregnant women, mothers and their children, including counseling and case management, parent education, child development assessments, substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment. Another program, the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, provides well-child exams and other medical, dental and social services for the community.
Through the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Program, Prosser provides grants to schools, and community and faith-based organizations so they can operate safe after-school programs for youth. The city also has local chapters of national youth and service organizations, including the Prosser Boys & Girls Club and Prosser Kiwanis. Prosser’s Boys & Girls Club offers academic support and out-of-school recreational activities while Prosser Kiwanis created Prosser High School Key Club which operates a wide range of service projects.
“Being named one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best is significant and meaningful to the entire community,” said Lisa Schmitt, local community champion and author of the grant.. “So many dedicated people and programs contributed to this win and it further reinforces our belief that a focus on youth pays dividends to the entire community.”
“As young people across the country go back to school, it is especially timely to recognize communities like Prosser that have come together to make supporting young people a top priority and that are committed to helping young Americans reach their full potential,” said John Gomperts, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO. “The 100 Best winners are doing outstanding work delivering the Five Promises that create the conditions for all young people to have the best chance for success. We hope the example set by these communities provides inspiration for others to take action.”
At noon EST on Sept. 12, Gomperts will join America’s Promise Alliance Chair Alma Powell and ING Foundation President Rhonda Mims at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., to officially announce the 100 winning communities during a live webcast.
“The increase we have seen in graduation rates over the past few years is due, in large part, to the hard work communities such as Prosser have done to make sure their youth have access to an outstanding education and support services,” said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and head of the ING U.S. Office of Corporate Responsibility. “It is also important for ING to partner with organizations such as America’s Promise Alliance so we can share these best practices and play a role in improving student achievement and the nation’s economy.”
Prosser will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources.
The 100 Best competition is part of the Grad Nation campaign, a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to end the dropout crisis. The goal of Grad Nation is to raise the national high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020, with no school graduating fewer than 80 percent of its students on time.
All communities entering the 100 Best competition completed a rigorous application where they provided details on how their existing programs and initiatives help deliver the Five Promises—resources identified by America’s Promise as being critical to the development of healthy, successful children: caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; effective education; and opportunities to help others. Applicants also were asked to describe how different sectors of their community work together to help children and families overcome challenges. Most importantly, communities were judged on the strength and innovation of their efforts and programs to help young people graduate from high school prepared for college and the 21st century workforce.
In its sixth year, the competition experienced its greatest interest to date with nominations from more than 320 communities representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges that included 2012 National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki, 2012 National Superintendent of the Year Heath Morrison, National Urban League President Marc Morial, and GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard.
Two youth representatives also were named as selection panelists. These include Austin Bargmann, 15, from Brighton, Colo., a two-time 100 Best winner, and Ashley Levanduski, 17, from Paso Robles, Calif., who serves as a volunteer coach with an America's Promise partner organization, The First Tee, an international youth organization that introduces golf and its inherent values to young people.
>>>Click here for a list of all 2012 winners
Second-time 100 Best winner Prosser was honored again for its commitment to providing a range of health services and after-school programs for youth. Safe Babies Safe Moms, which operates in the Prosser Memorial Hospital Medical Center’s Family Birthplace facility, offers services to pregnant women, mothers and their children, including counseling and case management, parent education, child development assessments, substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment. Another program, the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, provides well-child exams and other medical, dental and social services for the community.
Through the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Program, Prosser provides grants to schools, and community and faith-based organizations so they can operate safe after-school programs for youth. The city also has local chapters of national youth and service organizations, including the Prosser Boys & Girls Club and Prosser Kiwanis. Prosser’s Boys & Girls Club offers academic support and out-of-school recreational activities while Prosser Kiwanis created Prosser High School Key Club which operates a wide range of service projects.
“Being named one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best is significant and meaningful to the entire community,” said Lisa Schmitt, local community champion and author of the grant.. “So many dedicated people and programs contributed to this win and it further reinforces our belief that a focus on youth pays dividends to the entire community.”
“As young people across the country go back to school, it is especially timely to recognize communities like Prosser that have come together to make supporting young people a top priority and that are committed to helping young Americans reach their full potential,” said John Gomperts, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO. “The 100 Best winners are doing outstanding work delivering the Five Promises that create the conditions for all young people to have the best chance for success. We hope the example set by these communities provides inspiration for others to take action.”
At noon EST on Sept. 12, Gomperts will join America’s Promise Alliance Chair Alma Powell and ING Foundation President Rhonda Mims at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., to officially announce the 100 winning communities during a live webcast.
“The increase we have seen in graduation rates over the past few years is due, in large part, to the hard work communities such as Prosser have done to make sure their youth have access to an outstanding education and support services,” said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and head of the ING U.S. Office of Corporate Responsibility. “It is also important for ING to partner with organizations such as America’s Promise Alliance so we can share these best practices and play a role in improving student achievement and the nation’s economy.”
Prosser will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources.
The 100 Best competition is part of the Grad Nation campaign, a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to end the dropout crisis. The goal of Grad Nation is to raise the national high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020, with no school graduating fewer than 80 percent of its students on time.
All communities entering the 100 Best competition completed a rigorous application where they provided details on how their existing programs and initiatives help deliver the Five Promises—resources identified by America’s Promise as being critical to the development of healthy, successful children: caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; effective education; and opportunities to help others. Applicants also were asked to describe how different sectors of their community work together to help children and families overcome challenges. Most importantly, communities were judged on the strength and innovation of their efforts and programs to help young people graduate from high school prepared for college and the 21st century workforce.
In its sixth year, the competition experienced its greatest interest to date with nominations from more than 320 communities representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges that included 2012 National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki, 2012 National Superintendent of the Year Heath Morrison, National Urban League President Marc Morial, and GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard.
Two youth representatives also were named as selection panelists. These include Austin Bargmann, 15, from Brighton, Colo., a two-time 100 Best winner, and Ashley Levanduski, 17, from Paso Robles, Calif., who serves as a volunteer coach with an America's Promise partner organization, The First Tee, an international youth organization that introduces golf and its inherent values to young people.
>>>Click here for a list of all 2012 winners
