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.
Lamoni, Iowa
By Cynthia Hobgood
Lamoni is a small rural town in southern Iowa, with a population of just 3,000. While this community is small in size, it has come together across sectors in a big way to help serve the area’s youth.
Embracing the Five Promises philosophy whole-heartedly, the theme of the town’s 4th of July Parade was “Lamoni’s Promise” with a brigade of red wagons each displaying information on the promises, pulled by children, youth, parents, and adults.
The Lamoni SAFE Coalition provides an organizational structure to connect youth serving organizations and agencies and link each with the Five Promises. Sites of promise within the community are being established as each business, club, or organization identifies the way they pull their weight by offering one or more of the five promises.
Collaboration with organizations and agencies on a broader scale include interagency meetings, a countywide group that brings together all organization and agencies who work with youth to meet monthly and discuss activities, opportunities, and issues relating to youth. The goal is to eliminate duplication of services and promote sharing of opportunities to a wider area.
Youth leaders are actively involved in community organizations and are included in decision-making so that they have a real influence including the newly created Mayor’s Youth Commission. The Lamoni School Board added two youth members who will participate in discussions at meetings. Local churches also have youth commissions that meet regularly with adult advisors to plan and implement youth activities.
But Lamoni is not without challenges when serving its youth. Lamoni is located in Decatur County which as the lowest per capita income in the state of Iowa while also being the home to Graceland University. The mix provides for a very large disparity between families in the community. The community has addressed these needs through parenting classes, leadership opportunities for all, service learning, and collaborations with multiple organizations and agencies.
Some of the initiatives in Lamoni that led to its selection as one of 100 Best Communities for Young People include:
Lamoni SAFE Coalition:
Working under the umbrella of Lamoni’s Promise, the SAFE Coalition provides the connecting link for all youth serving partners in the community. The SAFE Coalition was established in 1998 and consists of 16 stakeholders or action groups including youth, faith community, media, health care, adult/family, business/labor, minority groups, community action agencies, education/schools, government, justice, public safety/law enforcement, senior citizens, social/civic organizations, agriculture, and prevention specialist. The city and SAFE Coalition provide a Youth Center as a safe, caring, drug-free place for youth.
Mayor’s Youth Commission:
In its first year, the commission included a project for young people to learn about the commissions in city government and plan a community celebration to honor volunteers.
Dekko Youth Pods:
The Dekko Foundation gives leadership and philanthropic experience to youth through the giving of time, talent, and treasure. These youth are awarded $15,000 to use to restore their county, communities, and schools.
HawkI:
An insurance program that is offered for children who do not have family health insurance. The Community Health Center and Behavioral Health Center are both working to meet the needs of the uninsured and underinsured.
Lamoni Police Department Mentoring Program
for at-risk youth provides a mentoring program for at-risk youth.
Service Leadership:
A program for all students that is designed to help students attain the nine areas of service reported to the state of Iowa – community education, school volunteerism, school partnerships, intergenerational learning, public safety, human needs, environmental, civic responsibility, and risky behavior.
Lamoni is seeing progress in its work to improve the lives of its young people, indicated in part by school performance. The percentage of students proficient in reading has increased in 8th grade from 64% in 2002 to 84% in 2005; 11th reading proficiency increased from 80% to 86%. 8th math proficiency has increased from 75% in 2002 to 84% in 2005; 11th math proficiency increased from 76% to 80%.
A small town populated with many caring adults, Lamoni has earned its status one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, serving as an example for many small, rural towns across the United States.