Highlighting America’s 100 Best Communities for Young People
Dubuque, Iowa
By Christopher Epps
Better known as the “Masterpiece on the Mississippi,” Dubuque is ever-changing, always striving for perfection for all of its residents. Beautiful, rolling hills are not the only aspect setting this 100 Best winner apart from its counterparts statewide—it also has an unending dedication to ensure that all of its children and youth succeed.
Committed to an education open to every child, the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD) Board focuses on improving the quality of every student’s learning experience by removing barriers to learning, raising expectations of its students and improving student outcomes through early interventions. To assist in overcoming hurdles in some of its students’ lives, the district has created a childcare center for infants, allowing their teen parents to continue and complete high school; in addition, special education students are afforded the opportunity to continue classes until they receive their diploma.
As with any city in the United States, Dubuque is no stranger to challenges; however, the community continues to work hard to facilitate change. Due to an influx of new residents, many of whom were immigrants, the predominantly White community and Dubuque County Extension recognized the need for a Multicultural Family Center. Since its creation in summer 2005, the multicultural center provides English as a Second Language and Spanish classes, homework assistance and family fun nights, among other useful and educational services. As a result of Dubuque’s rich diversity, the center has outgrown its current facility and a larger space is being sought to expand the services offered.
Outside of its charming Victorian architecture, Dubuque has “structured” programs and initiatives to help its youth. Some of these beneficial efforts include:
Crescent Community Health Center: A nonprofit center created to benefit children and thief families who are uninsured or underinsured. The center strives to improve and maintain the health and well-being of Dubuque residents by providing affordable, client-friendly and comprehensive, high-quality health care services. The center collaborates with other community organizations and seeks resources from the community to assist in its mission.
Dubuque Mentoring Partnership: A collaborative effort comprising several community-based organizations. Mentors are recruited for several hours each week including school hours, before and after school hours, and weekend hours—a minimum of one hour per weekend for at least nine months.
Youth Area Philanthropists (YAPPERS): A youth board comprising 12 students who meet twice a month to engage in leadership and team building activities. Some of the activities of the organization include raising funds, planning special events, and recognizing youth leaders. The philanthropists have given financial awards to St. Mark Community Center and the Rescue Mission for childhood hunger, in addition to raising more than $5,000 for future philanthropic causes.
Fortunately for this wildly ambitious city, all public and private schools have at least one business partner. The businesses provide mentors, educational support, in-kind donations, and even direct financial help—assisting the city of Dubuque in fulfilling the Five Promises.