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Community
Building Through a Children, Youth, and Family Lens
Over the last several years, the Coalition has been exploring how to
create durable gains that measurably improve the lives of children, youth,
and families throughout a community. Some refer to these as the dual challenges
of sustainability and "going to scale."
We view community building as an important strategy for securing improved
conditions for children, youth, and families. Children, youth, and families
need healthy communities in order to thrive: caring neighbors, self-help
networks, and informal opportunities and supports. We believe that "place"
is important. Children grow up in families and neighborhoods, not programs.
But families and neighborhoods must be supported by and connected to larger
systems: high quality public schools and after school programs, accessible
and affordable health care and day care, public transportation, and the
mainstream economy. We cannot, therefore, ignore the importance of building
public will to effect reforms in these systems in ways that build strength,
not dependence, and reduce the isolation of kids and families living in
tough neighborhoods.
We also believe that young people have contributions to make long before
the legal attainment of adulthood, but they remain an underutilized resource
in our communities. Community foundations are well positioned to accelerate
the pace, range, and scale of efforts to involve young people in decisions
that affect them, and in the larger arena of civic life. The timing is
propitious. Young people committed to principles of equity, justice and
the common good will be of increasing importance in ameliorating our adjustment
pains as we transition to a fully multicultural society with global mobility.
Given the complexities of the world the coming generation of young people
will inherit, it is incumbent on all of us to see that they are fully
prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
You can learn more about our work on specific initiatives by following
these links:
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