Charleston named one of 100 Best Communities for Young People

Charleston has been recognized for its efforts in making children a priority by being named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance, a national group of organizations dedicated to improving children’s lives.

This is the fifth time the award has been given and the third time Charleston has been among the winners. The only other South Carolina winners were Beaufort County and Rock Hill.

More than 300 communities applied for the award that’s intended to recognize communities trying to reduce dropout rates and provide services that support youth. The award carries a $2,500 prize that can be used to help fund a local program or be used for an event celebrating the award.

Some of the community programs that Charleston cited in its application included: the Coastal Community Foundation, which fosters philanthropy; the county Department of Juvenile Justice, which provides services for troubled youth; the Charleston Promise Neighborhood, an effort aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty by giving pre-natal to college services; Communities in Schools, a nonprofit dropout prevention organization; Louie’s Fit Club, which teachers children about healthy eating and exercise; and the Lean Team, a collaborative to help schools establish wellness committees to implement school-wide health campaigns.