America's Promise"What are colleges and universities throughout the country doing on behalf of youth?"General Colin Powell, Promise Letter Summer 1998
In 1998, AACC joined America' s Promise as the first national higher education association to make a "commitment" to community service. AACC encourages all member colleges to join America's Promise and make a commitment to impact the lives of young people nationwide. What Is America' s Promise?
America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth, a nonprofit organization whose founding chairman is Gen. Colin Powell - is heading a national movement to rebuild the nation's commitment to its young people. America's Promise seeks commitments from individual citizens, schools, organizations, agencies, corporations and communities to ensure that young people have access to five fundamental resources necessary to become successful adults. Those resources are: - an ongoing relationship with a caring adult - parent, mentor, tutor or coach;
- safe places and structured activities during nonschool hours;
- a healthy start;
- a marketable skill through effective education; and
- an opportunity to give back through community service.
What Can Community Colleges Do?
As leaders in community education, community colleges are uniquely positioned to establish themselves as leaders in America's Promise activities. Your college can become the champion of education in your community by uniting the community around the collective goal of helping young people succeed. By joining America's Promise, community colleges tell their communities they value their young people and want to give them an opportunity to succeed. As partners in America's Promise, community colleges can: - develop partnerships with local schools and businesses and nonprofit and government agencies;
- educate potential students and the community about your college's services, programs and resources;
- provide young people the support they need to achieve academic and personal success;
- support civic engagement within the community; and
- encourage community participation in programs to strengthen the community.
If your college is currently involved in America's Promise activities, let AACC know. Please contact Ellen Hause at ehause@aacc.nche.edu or (202) 728-0200 ext. 217 to register your activities.
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