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.
The Georgetown Divide, California
By Cynthia Hobgood
The Georgetown Divide, located 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, Calif. in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and once a hub during the Gold Rush, is a rural area with many low-income families among its 2,700 residents. Historically services were very limited in this area that is made up of unincorporated towns and villages without a local government. Gaining access to services that were based outside the area required a 30 to 90 minute drive, including a steep, twisty road through a river canyon.
Effective services needed to be either school-based or address the transportation issues. The Black Oak Mine Unified School District (BOMUSD) has taken the lead in establishing partnerships needed to bring services and youth initiative to the area. Schools provide programs for emotional, social, physical, and academic growth.
While the rugged landscape of mountains, forests and river canyons creates some challenges, it also a tremendous asset for youth development. Program providers draw on that for service opportunities and to create outdoor adventures. Youth leaders have discovered that outdoor adventure activities including teambuilding games, rafting, and geo-caching (a sport like orienteering using global positioning units) help accelerate the difficult social process associated with the transitions to middle school and high school.
Some initiatives that led to The Georgetown Divide’s selection as one of 100 Best Communities for Young People include:
Georgetown Ready by 21TM Coalition: Designed to rally community support for youth be ready for college, work and life. Representation includes school and community leaders, organizations, parents and youth. Work to date includes: kindergarten handbook, toddler literacy programs, outreach at community events, youth trained as evaluators, social marketing plans to address binge drinking, application for after school funding, and several successful grant applications.
Divide Community Services Network: Working with county agencies (both government and nonprofits), the closest hospital, and community groups, the Divide Community Services Network is able to successfully apply for a federal grant to support rural clinics. The clinic is in good financial health.
Youth Development Institute: School district is training staff, students and community members on the principles and best practices for youth development—including meaningful participation. Students and adults are being mentored in how to work together on projects.
Youth Advocates: Provide flexible support for students—which could mean a brief check-in every day, support addressing an issue with a teacher or parent, or connections to the right services. Students could have a student study team convene to create a plan for the child’s success.
The Georgetown Divide is a community that has embraced the challenges of its environment and turned them into assets for youth development, earning their place as on of the 100 Best Communities for Young People.