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.
San Ramon, California
By Christopher Epps
Lying in a valley, decorated by picturesque hills, one will find San Ramon. Home to the Chevron Corporation and AT&T headquarters, this community has kept young people and their families as a top priority since its inception. Originally formed because residents felt the county government was not providing the necessary infrastructure to support family life, the community developed parks, open space and a community center instead of government offices or a booming downtown area.
San Ramon hosts the annual Primo's Run For Education, a 5K and 1/2 marathon—and sprinting to improve its children is exactly what this community is doing. Focusing on the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, a summit held three years ago brought together leaders and stakeholders who planned a campaign to assure the development of assets for the community’s youth. The result was a strategic plan with three goals: engage youth in issues that affect them and provide opportunities for them to have a voice; increase community participation in programs that promote asset development; and obtain funding to promote assets.
Following the developmental summit, the city hosted clinics on how to be a positive coach and role model, incorporated the assets as a theme at parent education nights and included information about the assets in school newsletters.
To help San Ramon’s youth bond with the senior generation and learn about values and history, the Senior Scholar Program was developed. Students from elementary through high school can receive assistance with learning from volunteers who are aged 55 and older. Education is not limited to the classroom.
Several other initiatives/programs that led San Ramon to earn the distinction of a 100 Best community include:
Community and Youth Resource Program:
This is a crime prevention program that works with at-risk youth. Because many of the identified traits that bring youth to the program involve poor school performance including GPAs under 2.0, truancy and poor attendance, the program focuses on changing those behaviors and works to ensure that needed resources are available for the program’s participants.
San Ramon Valley Coalition for Youth Safety and Development:
A community-wide collaboration that was formed because of concern about the safety and development of young people, this organization is committed to addressing the needs of children and youth in the community. The coalition has coordinated several community programs and community outreach initiatives and has recommended 25 youth projects which were implemented throughout the community.
Valley Youth Council:
Comprised of a group of teens who represent their peers in the San Ramon Valley, the council advises the school district and other region-serving organizations on youth-oriented issues and programs they would like to implement.