Smart Communities

What to do on Monday: Helping kids who have kids

Yesterday's entry was on the rising teen pregnancy rates. We could have done a parallel entry using the same statistics titled rising poverty rates, rising health care and medicaid costs, and rising unemployment because these are what the figures tell us. Teenagers who have children often do not finish their education, are more likely to live in poverty or near poverty, must because of necessity be a part of Medicaid and other health related public programs, and are more likely to be unemployed. So the picture is one of public impact as well as a personal one.

So how can we help teen mothers and their children? On Monday find out the teen pregnancy rates in your community. Then find out how many of those mothers (and fathers) do not finish high school. While the reason may not be the baby per se, the implications of dropping out with the responsibility to raise a child magnify the consequences. Then find out what educational, child care, transportation, tutuorial, workforce development, etc., resources are available and accessible to these young parents. This is not a time for moral blame game--they shouldn't have, now they must pay the costs. This is a time to assist young people provide for themselves and their children a quality of life that allows those chidlren to thrive not just survive. The whole community will benefit from a dual track of helping teens make good decisions and then helping those who do not.

Teen Pregnancy Rate on the Rise

The news out of Washington, DC, yesterday was that after 15 years of decline, the teen pregnancy rate rose three percent in 2006. Already the blame is being placed. While it is likely a combination of factors that has caused this increase, there is much talk about the abstinence-only policies and funding. Why don't we stop finger pointing for just a few minutes and look at the facts. We have decades of non-partisan evaluation research (each side has there own of course) that tell us the kinds of things that prevents teen pregnancy. The Pew Partnership's summary of effective strategies in "What we know works" pages 27-30 and our Solutions for America site information on teen pregnancy prevention will give you an idea of what I mean. We do know what works and it takes all of those, not one strategy, to keep risky behaviors of all sorts at bay. This is a wake-up call. Maybe it is a one-year only change. But we can't take the chance. Find out the rate in your community and what measures are being taken to help teens make better decisions. We need to rely on decades of research as we make our decisions on what to fund and how to reach kids best.

Kansas City: The Animal Health Capital

In our conversations about using the assets of a community to define the future, I always talk about the familiar people, places, and things that people walk or ride by every day that can make all the difference. I also talk about ways to connect things as Lowell, MA, has with its factories and Birmingham, AL, has done with its Civil Rights heritage. We have another shining example of that concept: Kansas City, MO, wants to be the "Animal Health Corridor" building on its history and presence in the animal health market through food, animal health care, and of course the stockyards. A study done last year by a Dallas consultant found that the region has more than 120 businesses that serve the animal health market accounting for 27 percent of the $5 billion national market and 32 percent of the $15 billion international market. In an article in The Economist, authors talk about the new branding campaign across the region and the state and the investments being made in expansion.

There are two things that are particularly interesting to me about this new economic development strategy. First, that builds on the strengths and history of an industry that is not strictly high tech. Granted there is plenty of r & d among these companies and more to come, but the brand is grounded on the logical assets of the community and the region. Second, it took a consultant from Dallas to connect the dots. Those animal health industries had been in the region for quite a while. Why weren't others doing these local industry inventories or if they were, why weren't people paying attention?

No matter where you live, you should join with others to name your city the capital of something. I have dubbed Shreveport, LA, the capital of northeast Louisiana. This kind of thinking is not just public relations fluff but the distinction that separates successful cities from non-successful ones. They are clear about who they are and where they want to go.

Congratulations to Kansas City. They get it!

Season: First Semester Freshman Year

While holiday planning is in the air, there is another season on the horizon. This other season is the time that first year high school students are getting some idea of what high school is like and how they are doing. This is a critical time in their high school career because if this semester goes poorly we know from research that it is hard to catch up. As community members, we must be proactive in helping the most academically at-risk students make it through this tough threshold year. Our partners in the Learning to Finish campaign--Shreveport and Jacksonville--are focusing on truancy, community involvement, and academic support resources to name only a few. The message here is that this is the season to be involved in helping kids stay in school. A brochure from Focus Adolescent Services gives an excellent summary of what causes dropouts and what we might do to prevent them. While much of this is not "new" news, it it a powerful reminder that we cannot assume that these issues will fix themselves or that schools can find solutions by themselves. While reading the section on "What Parents Can Do" substitute the word "Community" for parents. Sometimes students don't have the kind of family support they need; that is where the community can help.

Find out how many first year high school students are failing in two or more classes and how many are likely to drop out at the end of the school year. When school officials say they don't have that information, just ask them what happened last year. That should give you a pretty good idea of the situation for this season.

Clifton Forge: Assets/Champion/Preserving the Past

Three of the principles of Smart Communities--building on assets, preserving the past, and community champions are alive and well in the small town of Clifton Forge, VA. A town of 4,000 with a distinguished railroad past, Clifton Forge is being revitalized by a local citizen in partnership with others in the town. Louise Belmont, a Reynolds Aluminum heir, could live anywhere she chooses but that choice for her is Clifton Forge, VA. Now a great-grandmother, Belmont owns an antique store, a nearby country store, and has dibs on an old school. Her enthusiasm is causing others to take a look at Clifton Forge. So what assets is she building on to attract residents and tourists alike: a beautiful spot in Allegheny Highlands, easy to reach off I-64, near the Homestead resort, railroad heritage, pretty residential areas, proximity to several major colleges and universities, lots of recreational activities, and according to Ms. Belmont, "Everybody is friendly, and everybody is thoughtful of everybody...". I would say that Clifton Forge has a great start toward inventing a new future for itself.