Highlighting America’s 100 Best Communities for Young People
The 100 Best Communities for Young People competition honors outstanding efforts on behalf of young people by multiple sectors of communities. In cities, suburbs, small towns and counties across the country, this annual competition is leading communities to assess their efforts, work more effectively together for young people, and share best practices. Each week one of the 2007 100 Best Communities will be highlighted in the America’s Promise Bulletin and on our web site.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
By Christopher Epps
Located just outside of Boston, residents of this cultural and intellectual powerhouse are afforded several opportunities for advancement. With unique demographics including over 100,000 residents within a 6.5 square mile area; a wealth of brain-power due to the presence of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and enormous diversity, this tight-knit community is committed to health, education and opportunity for all of its children.
Institutional resources paired with rich cultural diversity make a winning combination in Cambridge, where preparing the children to embrace future opportunity and success are number one priorities. Although many schools are increasingly providing special education services to children in inclusion classrooms, after-school programs are not typically prepared to receive children with significant disabilities in their programs. As a result, the city has begun providing comprehensive training to staff, increased child/staff ratios where necessary, purchased new equipment and materials, and conducted outreach to families to support the inclusion of more children with special needs in mainstream programs.
When a health department statistic identified obesity as a health concern with 18 percent of youth at-risk of being overweight, there was great concern for Cambridge’s youth. As a result, the city constantly promotes healthy eating habits and physical activity. Fitness Buddies, a program partnership between the youth centers and the police, encourages physical activity while building relationships, while TV Turnoff Week and the 5-2-1—5 or more fruits/vegetables, 2 hours or less of television per day and 1 hour of physical activity—strives to reduce sedentary behaviors and encourage quality family time.
In 1997, Cambridge introduced the Agenda for Children, announcing a far-reaching commitment for children and families, and establishing two goals: to provide supervised activities in nurturing, safe environments and to improve literacy among children and adults.
Other initiatives that earned this community recognition as a two-time winner of 100 Best Communities for Young People include:
Cambridge Challenge
a partnership of businesses and city agencies that support the successful launch of youth into the employment world. The organization solicits summer and school-year jobs for teens, and arranges mock interviews, job shadowing and internships for youth within city businesses. The Challenge focuses on youth who face barriers to employment, including those whose native language is not English, those living in public housing and many whose parents have not been to college.
Prevention Coalition
includes local youth in researching and addressing factors that put youth at risk for substance abuse. Through one-on-one interviews, youth engage their peers in discussions regarding substance abuse in a way that adults cannot, making the youth voice highly regarded in the work of the coalition and establishing trust among troubled youth and coalition facilitators.
Youth Programs
promote leadership skills while providing academic support, recreational activities and opportunities to be mentored, all in a safe, fun environment. Serving approximately 1,000 youth annually at five different youth centers located throughout the city, two distinctive program models were created: the Leadership Program focuses on the needs of the pre-teen (9-13) members, and the Teen Evening program works with youth 14-19. The programs include employment assistance, homework and literacy help, life skills workshops, guest speakers, community service projects, drug and alcohol prevention programs, recreational activities, sport leagues, trips and special events.