Waukesha Gets 100 Best Communities for Young People Award

Once again Waukesha is one of America's Promise Alliance's "100 Best Communities for Young People."

announced the honor, presented by ING, in a press releasse.  

Waukesha receives a $2,500 grant for the recognition. This is the fourth time the community has been given the distinction.

“This award, along with Waukesha’s Park-Rec Department being a 2011 National Gold Medal finalist and our library being named the 2011 Wisconsin Library of the Year, demonstrates our strong commitment to investing in our young people and our future,” Scrima said in a news release.

The award notes that more than 40 students completed more than 1,600 hours of community service through the Lead to Succeed program. Also highlighted was the United Way of Waukesha County’s youth services and Waukesha’s 97 percent graduation rate.

The award highlights several Waukesha organizations, according to its website, including:

• The Waukesha Youth Collaborative funds nine youth programs that focus on outcome based programming and community needs.
• Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin developed an LGBTQ Alliance program to promote consideration for youth and foster care adoptive parents, as well as social development groups for teen girls.
• A Prevention Program from the Waukesha County Drug-Free Communities Coalition teaches elementary and middle school students about the dangers of substance abuse.  
• The Waukesha Community Art Project provides a safe place for middle school students to enjoy art after school.
• Lead to Succeed gives high school teens the chance to work alongside college students on service learning projects for local nonprofit organizations.

The above program descriptions came directly from the America’s Promise Alliance website.