Highlighting America’s 100 Best Communities for Young People
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
By Christopher Epps
Barnstable County is a unique and dynamic community, providing a diverse environment for families to raise their children. This assortment of 15 communities, linked geographically on a beautiful peninsula known as Cape Cod, enjoys many of the perks of living in vacationland: lovely beaches, clean waters and a healthy tourist economy. Beyond the glittering sands, however, lies a serious task uniting the people of this county: how to thoughtfully plan and collaborate to guarantee that area youth receive needed direction and support.
The answer, the county has found, is both simple and complex. Complex because wealth, more unevenly distributed in this vacation destination than in many places, can create a perception of inequality among the young. However, the answer is simple because Barnstable's residents have discovered the great value of partnership—young with old, private with public, educators with police—to level the field and present opportunity to all of its children.
This 2005 and 2007 100 Best winner is fortunate to benefit from many cross-sector partnerships at local and regional levels. One such partnership, Council for Children, Youth, and Families, comprises over 100 members including parents, education institutions, faith-based and nonprofit organizations, among others. The Council works to identify needs and assets, influence policy, plan and coordinate resources, and advocate for solutions to ensure the health and well being of children, youth and families on Cape Cod.
One aspect of youth life that is a constant concern for all residents is the safety of its young people. Cape Cod Mall is widely acknowledged as the unofficial youth center for Barnstable's young people. To create a safe environment for the area’s youth and to let patrons know that they don’t merely hang out or start trouble at the mall, Youth at the Mall Nights (YAM-N) was re-introduced to the mall’s general manager and security director. During YAM-N, members of the Barnstable Police Department provide different activities at each event while entertainment is provided by middle and high school students, dance groups and student bands.
Other initiatives that led Barnstable County to earn recognition twice as a 100 Best community include:
CHART Room (Communication Helps Any Responsible Teen Achieve) is a middle school program funded by the state’s Department of Education: Safe and Supportive Learning Environment. The initiative provides a comprehensive program where students learn life skills, develop positive behaviors, achieve academic goals and decrease disruptive behavior in the classroom in a strength-based, positive environment. Students stay after school for homework help, team building and community service opportunities.
Diploma Plus is an alternative high school for youth at-risk of not completing high school or those who have dropped out. The Plus model increases the number and quality of educational alternatives and workforce options for vulnerable youth. To achieve its mission, Diploma Plus combines the expertise of coaches, mentors, AmeriCorps, and seven local schools districts, among others. Nearly 100 percent of the high school’s at-risk students graduate on time, earning a traditional high school diploma, while 90 percent attend college or receive technical training.
The Sea-Babies program was created through a partnership with Children's Place, Seamen's Bank and the Town of Wellfleet Council on Aging. The program offers daycare and parental support to bank employees at subsidized rates. The bank has committed to provide $40,000 for daycare annually for the next two years.