Young people are not educated enough about climate change, and neither are adults. This was the conclusion that a group of high schoolers from across the country (and one from Canada) presented during a 4-H briefing held at the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA/USDA) on March 28.

For the second year in a row, the United States remains off pace to reach a 90 percent on-time high school graduation rate by 2020, according to the 2017 Building a Grad Nation  report.

The following grants and funding opportunities are currently accepting applicants. These grants are not offered through America's Promise Alliance, but they each relate to our Five Promises. If you have questions about these opportunities, please follow the links provided in each item.

How much adversity is too much? Are some worse then others? How does the amount and type of adversity affect young people’s lives? These are the questions explored in a recent report from the Center for Promise, Barriers to Success: Moving Toward a Deeper Understanding of Adversity’s Effects on Adolescents. Analyzing three existing data sets, researchers assessed a select group of Adverse Life Experiences (ALEs) and the role they play in youth outcomes.

Hilda Ramirez strongly believes that “the answers to the problems that communities face lies within the people who are affected by the challenges.” Ramirez is the assistant director of the Latino Education Institute of Worcester State University, a partnership of community leaders that provides outcome-based development programs in education, literacy, leadership, civic engagement, and health.

Say Yes to Education and America’s Promise Alliance, two nonprofit organizations with a half century of experience between them, today announced the formation of an institute that will bring together the best thinking, latest research and field-tested strategies to support communities seeking to help more students get on a path to success in higher education and beyond.

Join us as we take action by using our own words to affirm the dreams of a young person and by sharing what steps you’ll take to help him or her make their own American dream a reality.  #Letters2Kids

As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, America’s Promise is recognizing an organization that exemplifies how communities can collaborate to improve youth outcomes: The Parramore Kidz Zone (PKZ). The organization will receive the Powell Legacy Award—and a $50,000 donation—at the Recommit to Kids Summit on April 18.

This award recognizes the “often unheralded contributions” of heroes who are making an impact on their communities in ways large and small.  And while Day and Mitchell are hardly unknown in their industries, they’ve each made contributions to issues impacting young people.

Twenty years after the event that launched America’s Promise Alliance, General Colin Powell and Alma Powell are marking the occasion by urging Americans to recommit to the nation’s young people.

As a child, Abisai Montes and his parents moved from their home in North Dallas to a rougher part of town, where Montes says he learned to carry a switchblade to feel safe. At 15, when he was on his way to see some friends, a stranger attacked him and Montes pulled out his knife. As a result, Montes spent time in a juvenile detention center.

How can schools and communities create an inclusive environment for English-language learners? It starts by recognizing that bilingualism is an asset to be encouraged, not a problem to be solved.

There’s this perception, Kris Scott says in the video below, that people are supposed to have certain things by a certain age: a job, a place of your own.

From starting a scholarship for youth of incarcerated parents to building a mobile app that empowers foster care youth, young leaders today are finding innovative, powerful ways to make a difference for the leaders of tomorrow. This year, for the first time, America’s Promise is honoring five of them with a People of Promise award, which recognizes young adult leaders in their 20s who are using their experiences and talents to transform the lives of children.

When Ornan Mendez’ parents lived in the Dominican Republic, they both had stable careers. His mother was a dentist and his father, an industrial engineer. When they moved to the United States to give their kids more opportunities, however, they had a hard time finding jobs.

Her family immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia when she was eight years old, and though her parents prioritized her education, she says she struggled with taking the SAT.