Burbank Named One of the Nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance

 Competition Showcases Successful Efforts by U.S. Cities and Towns to Help Young People Succeed

BURBANK, CA – America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest alliance dedicated to children and youth, in partnership with Capital One, today announced that the City of Burbank has been named a winner of its 2008 100 Best Communities for Young People competition. Burbank is the only city in Los Angeles County to be named to the list.

The 100 Best competition recognizes the 100 outstanding communities across America – large and small, rural and urban – that are the best places for young people to live and grow up.  More than 300 communities in all 50 states applied for the honor this year.  The 100 winning communities span 37 states.

Burbank was selected as one of the 100 Best in large part because of the city’s focus on increasing health and wellness programs for its youth.  The city’s theme in 2007 was “A Healthy Community.”  Community-wide collaborations involving the City of Burbank, Burbank Unified School District, local businesses, the local YMCA, and Boys and Girls Club have resulted in afterschool, nutrition, and exercise programs on school campuses and neighborhood achievement centers.  The Youth Task Force has been instrumental in the initiation of counseling programs on campuses, youth transportation, conflict resolution programs, video productions related to teen issues, and youth employment programs.  In addition to passing an ordinance that prohibited smoking in public places, the mayor invites families to join her weekly walks and talk about issues impacting their lives.

“This designation is really an incredible achievement that recognizes our entire community’s commitment to our young people,” said Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos, expressing excitement about the win. “The collaborative efforts of Burbank’s community partners present extraordinary opportunities for our youth to achieve all their potential.  Our holistic approach addresses their needs from infancy through teens and into adulthood.  We are working to build a community of good health, hope and harmony.” 

“Over the past few years I have witnessed the time and effort that this city dedicates to its youth first-hand,” said 18-year-old Steven Ferguson, citing a specific example.  “The City took the results from a teen survey and decided to gather a group of teen whose job would be to create a one-day Youth Solution Summit where teens could come and provide solutions to their survey-identified problems. Those solutions are being implemented with new teen oriented programs throughout our City.”

“The prosperity of every community and this country depends on how well we care for our children and youth,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, president and CEO, America’s Promise Alliance, “Although no place is perfect, when we have communities that make young people a priority and are working to make sure they stay in school and have all the resources necessary to lead healthy, productive lives, we must recognize them and by extension inspire other cities and towns to follow their lead.”

The 100 Best competition was first held in 2005.  This year’s winners were selected by a distinguished panel that included some of the nation’s most well-known civic, business and nonprofit leaders such as: Gayle Manchin, first lady of West Virginia; United Way President Brian Gallagher; Thomas Donohue, president and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Christine James-Brown, president and CEO, the Child Welfare League of America; and Dr. Suzanne Morse, executive director of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change.

“At Capital One, we are committed building stronger communities, one neighborhood at a time,” said Carolyn Berkowitz, Vice President of Community Affairs for Capital One.

All communities that completed entries in the 100 Best competition were required to submit detailed information to the Alliance on existing community programs and initiatives that 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; healthy start; effective education; and opportunities to help others; to their young people. Applicants were also asked to describe how different sectors of their community come together to deliver the Five Promises and specific efforts and programs developed to ensure that their young people graduate from high school prepared for college and/or the workforce.  Each of these communities, regardless of whether they were selected as a winner, will be eligible to apply for $300,000 in grants from the Alliance next month.

For more details about the 100 Best competition and to see a complete list of the 2008 winners, please visit www.americaspromise.org.

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