Regional Forums on Helping Youth Succeed Open to Municipal Officials
by Michael Karpman
America’s Promise — the Alliance for Youth is hosting two upcoming regional forums to strengthen cross-sector collaboration on behalf of young people. The forums, which take place in Houston on June 14-15 and in Nashville, Tenn., on July 31-August 1, are open to representatives from government, business, education, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and youth.
The forums are designed to help communities reach more young people with Five Promises that significantly enhance their chances for success: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to help others. NLC is a partner of the alliance, helping municipal leaders deliver the Five Promises to children and youth by promoting the City Platform for Strengthening Families, a framework to guide and assess local progress that has been adopted by 67 cities across the country (available here).
Participants in the forums will have the opportunity to learn about successful cross-sector strategies implemented in various communities, network and share best practices and strengthen collaboration at home. Presenters at the regional forums will include representatives from the America’s Promise “100 Best Communities for Young People,” as well as policymakers and America’s Promise Alliance partners.
Host Cities
Both Houston and Nashville have been recognized by America’s Promise as two of the “100 Best Communities for Young People.”
Houston and Harris County were recognized in part because of their Be a Resource for CPS Kids (BEAR) program, a unique public-private partnership in which volunteers provide support for the caseworkers who protect children who must be removed from their parents. More than 1,000 children are served from the “BEAR Necessities” supply room, which provides food, clothing and toys to those served by Child Protective Services (CPS). BEAR Back to School provides uniforms, backpacks, shoes and school supplies to more than 4,000 CPS children.
“It is through cooperation, collaboration, strong will and determination that Houston/Harris County as a community strives to address the needs of our youth and provides for their healthy development,” said Sherea McKenzie, executive director of Houston’s Joint City/County Commission on Children.
Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County were selected as among the 100 Best in part because of Alignment Nashville, which brings community organizations and resources into alignment so that their coordinated support for Nashville’s youth has a positive impact on the success of public schools and the community as a whole.
How to Register
To register for either of the regional forums and to view the forum agendas, visit www.americaspromise.org and click on “Initiatives” at the bottom of the home page. Registration deadlines are May 31 for the Houston forum and July 20 for the Nashville forum. However, after the deadline it is possible to bring payment and register on site.
Details: To learn more about the regional forums, contact Tanya Tucker at America’s Promise at tanyat@americaspromise.org or (703) 684-4500. To learn about NLC’s City Platform for Strengthening Families, visit www.nlc.org/iyef/a_city_platform or contact Michael Karpman at NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at karpman@nlc.org or (202) 626-3072.
|