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HONOLULU NAMED ONE OF '100 BEST COMMUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'  (Thurs., Feb. 17, 2011)—Mayor Peter Carlisle joined leaders of several community groups today to announce that Honolulu has been selected as one of the America's Promise Alliance "100 Best Communities for Young People" presented by ING. This national competition identifies 100 communities nationwide that are dedicated to ending the high school dropout crisis by helping young people overcome challenges to succeed. "Our community has worked very hard to assist young people identify and achieve their educational goals, and we must continue this important effort," Carlisle said. "More than 7,000 students drop out every school day across the United States, totaling 1.3 million young people a year. That's just not acceptable. Fortunately, many good people in Honolulu and other cities are working to address this crisis." The City Department of Community Services' Youth Services Center applied for the "100 Best Cities" designation in collaboration with several nonprofit groups that assist young people through various programs that provide mentoring, career guidance, and other youth development services: Good Beginnings Alliance; Family Programs Hawaii; YMCA of Honolulu; Honolulu Community Action Program's Head Start Program; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hawaii Community Foundation; Hawaii Job Corps; and ALU LIKE. Judges for the competition reviewed applications from across the U.S., looking for innovative or proven programs and initiatives that demonstrate applicant communities are actively working to increase graduation rates. Winning communities had to demonstrate how they are collaborating across sectors (schools, nonprofits, business and faith communities working together) to help young people overcome challenges and achieve their potential. Founded in 1997, America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. The 100 Best Communities for Young People competition is supported by the ING Foundation, which contributes an average of $3.5 million annual towards education initiatives. -30- Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.