America's Promise Bulletin May 28

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America's Promise Bulletin May 28, 2010 (Vol 21)


"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."
-- President Harry S. Truman
Houston engaging parents and youth in dropout prevention
The Houston/Harris County Featured Communities Collaborative conducted its local Dropout Prevention Summit titled, Parent Engagement Summit in April. The focus was to engage parents and youth in a specific school feeder pattern in order to hear voices that are often left out of the conversations around dropout prevention. In a community where there are 26 school districts and 1.9 million children and youth, it was important to capture the needs and voices of a single feeder pattern community. The 250 participants included parents, grandparents, teachers, youth, youth service providers, corporate volunteers and all of the agencies that make up the Featured Communities Collaborative. more
Apply by June 11 for a My Idea Grant!
America's Promise Alliance and AT&T are looking for the energy, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to help make this country a Grad Nation through the My Idea Grants program. My Idea will empower young people to examine the high school dropout crisis and take action to help more of their peers to graduate on time. National grants of $10,000-$20,000 will be awarded to 20 - 25 youth for the best of the submitted ideas to help increase a community's graduation rate anywhere in the United States. Additional opportunities are available for young people in Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Jackson, Louisville, Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Oakland, and Washington, D.C., with grants of $500-$1500 to support targeted local projects. more
How Municipal Leaders Can Engage Parents in Dropout Prevention webinar recording now available for download
America's Promise Alliance, in partnership with the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, hosted a webinar titled "How Municipal Leaders Can Engage Parents in Dropout Prevention" May 20. A recording of that webinar is now available for download on our web site. It featured city practices and examples of the unique role that municipal leaders play in engaging families in education. more
Sign up to host a community conversation
AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy will engage the American public in an unprecedented national discussion about our federal budget. On Saturday, June 26 in 18 cities, AmericaSpeaks will host 21st Century Town Meetings reflecting the political, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity of the United States. Participants will weigh in on the different options for putting our country back on a sustainable path. If there is no Town Meeting scheduled near you, consider volunteering to host a Community Conversation in your home or at a public venue (like a library or office) near you -- and you will be provided with the materials and information you need to bring the national discussion on Our Budget, Our Economy to your neighborhood. more
Register for the National Urban League Centennial Conference July 28-21
Be empowered. Get connected. The 2010 National Urban League Centennial conference will gather the nation's leading business community and political figures in Washington, D.C. July 28-31.This year's celebration of the National Urban League's Centennial promises to bring together thousands of savvy and smart professionals who want to connect, discuss and make a difference in our communities. more
First Lady announces foundation commitments to invest in innovative community solutions
First Lady Michelle Obama and Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington announced the initial phase of philanthropic commitments totaling $50 million to match Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants and to invest in other innovative community solutions this week. This also includes an independent consortium of more than 20 national and regional funders led by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations that have come together to create the "Scaling What Works" initiative, which will provide complementary funding for key initiatives to build the infrastructure needed for the long-term success of the SIF. more
Hundreds of museums offering free admission for military families across the country this summer
Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts have partnered to ask museums across the country to sign on as "Blue Star Museums." As Blue Star Museums, they will open their doors to military families this summer with free admission. Almost 600 museums across the nation have joined the program. The free admission program is available to active duty military and their immediate family members, which includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard. more
Administration, Congressional and College Teams "Get Fiscal" in second annual Budgetball Tournament on the National Mall
Fiscal policymakers representing the U.S. House Budget Committee, the U.S. Treasury Department, other federal agencies, and policy groups faced off against college students in the Second Annual 'Budgetball on the Mall' Tournament held May 21 on the National Mall. Players included David Walker, President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and former U.S. Comptroller General, and Robert Reischauer, former Director of the Congressional Budget Office. Budgetball is a team sport similar to ultimate Frisbee with the addition of fiscal strategy to physical play. more
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

With the larger focus on social networking across all sectors, Twitter and Facebook have emerged as excellent ways to stay informed about issues and news affecting young people and practitioners. We invite you to follow our Twitter feed (@fivepromises) and Facebook page to stay up to date on the work of the Alliance and related news.
Weekly News Highlights

Report: Percentage of high-poverty schools rises - May 27, 2010 - Associated Press

Joining the Fight Against the High School Dropout Crisis - May 25, 2010 - Huffington Post

High-scoring School Reforms (editorial) - May 25, 2010 - Washington Post

High-School Dropout Rate Is Cited as a Key Barrier to Obama's College-Completion Goal - May 25, 2010 - Chronicle

Child Gun Deaths as Common in Rural as Urban Areas - May 25, 2010 - Reuters

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