[Durham INC] Durham Celebrates Being Named One of Nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People

[Blalock, Amy]

City of Durham

County of Durham

 

Joint News Release

 

For Immediate Release: 

February 4, 2011

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist, City of Durham

(919) 560-4123, ext. 11253

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

 

Deborah Craig-Ray

Assistant County Manager

(919) 560-0002 

dcraig-ray at durhamcountync.gov



 

Durham Celebrates Being Named One of Nation's 100 Best Communities for
Young People

Event Recognizes Community Partnerships that Help Create Brighter
Futures for Young People in Durham

 

Who:        City and County of Durham 

 

What:       Durham's official celebration for being named one of the
nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People

 

When:      Wednesday, February 9, 2011, at 10 a.m.

 

Where:     Holton Career and Resource Center Auditorium, 401 North
Driver Street, Durham

 

Fast Facts

*         Durham was selected as one of the America's Promise Alliance
100 Best Communities for Young People, a competition identifying 100
communities nationwide that are dedicated to ending the high school
dropout crisis by helping young people overcome challenges to succeed.  

 

*         Among reasons Durham was named one of the nation's 100 Best
was the community's focus on accountability. The award-winning System of
Care program is the cornerstone of Durham's accountability. System of
Care brings public agencies, families, health organizations and the
government together to provide support networks for at-risk youth. 

 

*         Durham's accountability is demonstrating results - more
children are enrolled in high quality childcare, child abuse and neglect
have decreased, and the dropout rate has also decreased in the last few
years. 

 

*         More than 7,000 U.S. students drop out of school every day,
totaling 1.3 million young people a year. That amounts to about one out
of every three students not graduating high school, making the dropout
crisis a critical issue for our community and our nation 

 

*         The East Durham Children's Initiative will be working with
America's Promise Alliance as a new Grad Nation Community, focusing on
seeing that every child graduates from high school ready for college and
the 21st Century workforce. 

 

*         In addition to Durham's dropout rate going down in the last
few years, Durham's child abuse and neglect rates have also decreased
substantially in the last decade. 

 

*         Speakers include Michael D. Page and Ellen W. Reckhow,
chairman and vice chair respectively of the Durham Board of County
Commissioners; Cora Cole-McFadden, Durham Mayor Pro-Tem; Forrest W.
Moore, executive vice president of knowledge management and education
liaison for America's Promise Alliance; and David Reese, executive
director of East Durham Children's Initiative. Live entertainment will
be provided by KidzNotes, a nonprofit organization that works to inspire
and transform the lives of young people through classical music.

 

About 100 Best
First held in 2005, 100 Best honors communities large and small, rural
and urban, that are making progress to help young people achieve their
potential, which includes earning a high school diploma, securing a good
job, and playing an active, productive role in America's economic
vitality. This year, more than 350 communities in 50 states registered
online for the 100 Best distinction at www.americaspromise.org/100best.

 

Being a 100 Best Community not only demonstrates commitment to local
young people; the award fosters local pride, bolsters economic
development and shines the spotlight on the people and programs that are
building better communities. The competition also facilitates the
sharing of best practices among communities nationwide regarding
education, access to health care, reading score improvement, youth
service and pre-school enrollment, among many other areas.

 

About America's Promise Alliance
America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest partnership
organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth.
Through the collective power of our partner network, we raise awareness,
support communities and engage in nonpartisan advocacy to ensure that
young people receive more of the fundamental resources they need to
graduate high school prepared for college, work and life. Building on
the legacy of our Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, the Alliance
believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five
Promises-caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective
education; and opportunities to help others.  For more information about
America's Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.

 

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