Brockton and Fall River Named in 100 Best Communities for Young People 

by Trisha Godio, adapted by Amanda Trask 

The nation's drop out crisis has been a topic of conversation among those who care about youth centered issues.  Here in Brockton, we have turned our words into actions; our collaborative efforts to make a difference in the lives of young people are serving as an example to communities across the country.   

The 100 Best Communities for Young People is an annual competition held by America's Promise Alliance that rewards and recognizes those communities making extraordinary efforts to reduce the dropout rates and provide outstanding services and supports to their youth.  Brockton has been awarded this honor four times, most recently in 2011.   

Our community was chosen because of the efforts of Brockton's Promise, District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, Mayor Linda M. Balzotti, the Brockton Public Schools, and community residents who have dedicated time and support to promote young people's access to the Five Promises.  America's Promise specifically highlighted community programs such as the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton's Youth Jobs Program, The Brockton Public Schools anti-bullying initiatives, School on Wheels of Southeastern MA's work to mentor and provide academic support to children affected by homelessness, Safe Corners Street Outreach¸ Brockton After Dark and Late Night Basketball, and Brockton's Alternative Pathways KEY Program.  They recognized our Graduation and Recovery Coaches who were put in place to help students learn appropriate behavioral responses and develop social skills to improve academics were praised by reviewers as a recommended strategy to keeping students on the right track to success.

Meanwhile, Brockton understands that supporting families is the key to curbing the dropout rate.  Community Connection of Brockton promotes family involvement by increasing neighborhood networks and access to resources.  And with the launch of the Family Center, there is now a one-stop shop for parents and families to learn about and be involved with services in the community that can support them in their efforts to raise healthy and successful children.   

We all have an interest in ensuring children have communities where they can be healthy, educated and productive citizens.  Our partners and our youth are working to ensure that Brockton upholds its legacy as the City of Champions.  We are honored to receive this award and we are excited to continue our work in raising graduation rates amongst our youth!

Two hundred students wait, breathless, as the announcer on the monitor reads off a list of cities; Birmingham, Jackson... New Haven, Dover. The cities go on and on. The students inch forward, wondering and hoping that they too will be named, that all the hard work over the past year had finally, finally earned them their goal. Finally the announcer moves on the Massachusetts, the auditorium is silent as the names ring out Bedford, Brockton... FALL RIVER! The cheers are deafening. We did it! We made it!

On October 4, 2011, in a webinar shown throughout the country, Fall River was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise Alliance. The webinar was televised for two hundred Durfee High School youth leaders, Mayor William Flanagan, Superintendent Meg Brown, various elected officials, and the community partners who worked tirelessly over the years to make Fall River one of the best cities for youth. This day marked the second time, in three years, that Fall River received this distinction.

This award, given to only 100 communities in the country, served as recognition of all the programs, policies, and collaborations that Fall River has put in place over the years to serve the ever-evolving needs of its youth. While over three hundred communities applied to be one of the 100 Best for Young People, Fall River's sense of community and dedication to its youth are what set it apart. Whereas many communities in Massachusetts, and across the Country, can boast of varied programs and policies that support youth, Fall River takes it a step further by directly and profoundly involving the greater community in addressing the needs of its youth. Instead of seeing youth as an issue to be split up and dealt with by various providers, Fall River recognizes that a comprehensive vision for youth needs to be in the community and that youth are not the responsibility of a few but of the whole. Thus, in the past year, Fall River worked tirelessly to build and sustain collaborations throughout the city and greater Fall River to support, nourish, and celebrate its youth.

As the Massachusetts Promise Fellow serving at CD Recreation in Fall River, I have been fortunate to witness many of these collaborations first hand. Over the years these collaborations have culminated in many of the policies that are in place for youth today. In August 2009, a yearlong collaboration between partners in Fall River and youth from Team FRESH culminated in the signing of Fall River's Youth Bill of Rights which guarantees youth the right to a safe place, a caring adult, an effective education, a healthy start, and an opportunity to serve. This year, building off of this collaboration, I along with youth throughout Fall River will begin creating a Youth Master Plan for the City, which will outline a new vision for youth in the years to come.

Fall River is one of the 100 Best Communities for Youth due to the collaboration and dedication of the community to provide youth with a safe, educated, healthy, and caring place to learn and grow. As a Massachusetts Promise Fellow serving in Fall River, I am honored to have a part in its continued dedication to youth.

by Paul Bologna