Houston County named one of 100 best communities for young people Published Sept. 13, 2012 By Kids' Journey: Houston County Family Connection Partnership WARNER ROBINS, Ga. -- Houston County was named one of America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING. The national award was given to Houston County to recognize its outstanding and innovative work in addressing the high school dropout crisis and for its programs and services that make it an outstanding place for youth to live, learn and grow. Second-time 100 Best winner Houston County, Georgia was again honored for its leadership programs, collaborative efforts, and volunteer opportunities to support local youth. To address high school dropout rates, Kids' Journey collaborative partners, Houston County Board of Education, Warner Robins Parks & Rec., faith-based organizations, and more, developed a youth strategy team to identify and reach at-risk youth. HCBE programs also work with high-achieving students to ensure they remain successful. To further encourage academic achievement, Houston County includes science, technology, engineering and math enrichment components into its curricula. For abused and neglected children within the community's court system, CASA of Houston County provides support and adult advocates to work directly with affected young people. The program recruits, trains, supervises and retains volunteers to independently evaluate children's conditions. Finally, Kids' Journey: Houston County GA Family Connection Partnership, a youth-focused initiative led by a collaboration of community partners, develops, implements and evaluates programs and plans that support young people and their families. "Being named one of America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best is significant and meaningful to the entire community," said Dr. Kimberly Welch, Executive Director, Kids' Journey. "So many dedicated people and programs contributed to this win and it further reinforces our belief that a focus on youth pays dividends to the entire community." "As young people across the country go back to school, it is especially timely to recognize communities like Houston County that have come together to make supporting young people a top priority and that are committed to helping young Americans reach their full potential," said John Gomperts America's Promise Alliance president and CEO. Houston County will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America's Promise Alliance's community development resources. The 100 Best competition is part of the Grad Nation campaign, a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to end the dropout crisis. The goal of Grad Nation is to raise the national high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020, with no school graduating fewer than 80 percent of its students on time.