The Alliance for Youth is a campaign to meet the needs of children and youth in Arkansas.

It's a bold, large scale attempt to generate commitments, energize communities, and sustain attention on the needs of children and youth.  It will engage businesses, government, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, churches, schools, and the community at large to focus on strengthening existing programs that successfully serve young people.  It will also look to youth themselves as resources.

The historic 1997 Presidents' Summit in Philadelphia announced America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth, chaired by General Colin Powell.  It challenges individuals, corporations, nonprofits, communities of faith, philanthropists, and states and communities to assure that children and young people have access to five fundamental resources. They need specific resources to grow into healthy, productive citizens.

Arkansas has pledged that young people in our state will have access to these same five fundamental resources that can maximize their chances of success.  This goal will be met by using existing youth serving programs, engaging more individuals as volunteers, and building new and stronger collaborations within communities.

Every young person in America can develop the competence, character, confidence, and connections needed to be full contributors today and tomorrow.

Every county, city, and town should be a "Community of Promise":  A place that claims all its children as its own and does for them what any loving parent would do - mentor, nurture, teach, and inspire them to serve.

Young people, with the help of caring adults, need to stay in school, stay involved, stay inspired, stay in charge of their lives.  Doing this requires early and ongoing connection to five fundamental resources needed for development - caring adults, safe places with structured activities, a healthy start for a healthy future, education for marketable skills, and opportunities to serve.