Community spotlight: Spokane, Washington
2/19/2010
By Esther Berg
What do Communities in Schools of Spokane County, Spokane Regional Youth Department and the YMCA of the Inland Northwest have in common? Aside from being located in the same county in Washington State, they are all official Promise Places. A Promise Place is any school, community center, place of worship, business or organization that provides all Five Promises – caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others – to youth.
The Promise Place initiative promotes and celebrates the Five Promises as a model for youth development and enables America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance) to foster and nurture relationships with local organizations.
A Promise Place’s importance is reiterated in the Alliance-commissioned research brief, Every Child, Every Promise (ECEP). The report reveals that young people who receive four of the Five Promises are far more likely to be successful, twice as likely to get ‘A’s, twice as likely to avoid violence, and 40 percent more likely to volunteer. In addition, the research shows that receiving four out of these five basic resources has the potential to level the playing field for youth across racial and economic lines.
What else makes Spokane a great place for youth? Spokane County has been recognized three times as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, a distinction from the Alliance that celebrates extraordinary community-wide efforts to improve the well-being of young people and end the nation’s dropout crisis. The 100 Best range from large cities to suburban areas, counties and rural towns. Winning efforts are as varied as local needs, imaginations and willingness to work together.
This year’s competition, presented by ING, kicks off this spring, when applications become available. Click here for more information.
For more information on how to become a Promise Place, visit www.americaspromise.org\promiseplaces.
Photo Credit: Val Mallinson; Spokane's famous "Red Wagon" in the heart of downtown Spokane at Riverfront Park.