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Skriven 2005-10-27 23:33:00 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (051027) for Thu, 2005 Oct 27
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Fact Sheet: A Commitment to Helping America's Youth
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 27, 2005

Fact Sheet: A Commitment to Helping America's Youth
White House Conference Empowers Communities; Launches New Web-Based Guide


White House Conference Empowers Communities; Launches New Web-Based Guide
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The White House Conference On Helping America's Youth

On October 27, Mrs. Laura Bush Will Convene The White House Conference On
Helping America's Youth At Howard University In Washington, DC. More than
500 parents, civic leaders, faith-based and community service providers,
foundations, educators, researchers, and experts in child development will
gather to discuss various problems facing America's youth and solutions
shown to be successful in overcoming those challenges.
  þ The Conference Will Encourage Families, Schools, And Faith-Based And
    Community Organizations To Help Children Avoid Risky Behavior And Build
    Their Lives So That They Become Responsible, Healthy Adults. One of the
    most important ways the Federal government can help local communities
    is by fostering communication between people who are running successful
    programs and those who want to get involved.
  þ By Sharing Best Practices, Organizations And Communities Will Learn
    From One Another And Turn Good Ideas Into Successful Programs. Panel
    discussions - led by Cabinet Secretaries, elected officials, and
    scholars - will identify the biggest challenges facing America's youth;
    highlight the principles of successful programs; and outline new ideas
    that can be used across the country to connect young people with their
    families, schools, and communities.
  þ The Conference Will Encourage New Partnerships And Creative Solutions.
    It is Mrs. Bush's hope the White House Conference on Helping America's
    Youth will serve as a starting point from which state and local leaders
    and private citizens can work together to address the needs of children
    and teens in their communities so all Americans are engaged in the
    effort to help our nation's youth.

A New Guide to Support Community Efforts to Improve the Lives of Youth
  þ The "Community Guide To Helping America's Youth" Will Help Communities
    Identify Challenges They Face And Specific Steps They Can Take To
    Improve The Lives Of Boys And Girls In Their Areas. This new web-based
    guide, announced by Mrs. Bush in March, will be made available to
    communities for the first time at the White House Conference on Helping
    America's Youth. For more information on the guide, please visit
    www.helpingamericasyouth.gov.

The Interactive Guide Will Support Community Partnerships. The new guide
will assist community partnerships in their collaborative efforts to
prioritize issues, identify existing resources, and fill gaps or unmet
needs with effective programs.

The New Guide Will Be Free Of Cost For Communities And The Online Platform
Will Facilitate Good Strategic Planning That Allows The Efficient And
Effective Use Of Available Resources. By identifying needs and available
resources, community leaders can integrate existing Federal and local
programs, as well as volunteer faith-based or community programs, to create
seamless efforts serving local youth.

The Community Guide To Helping America's Youth Reflects The Most Up-to-Date
Research On Youth Development And Effective Programs. The guide was
developed by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice,
Education, Agriculture, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and the
Interior; the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and the Corporation
for National and Community Service. Departmental contributors were chosen
for their expertise in adolescent health, youth development, juvenile
delinquency prevention, substance abuse prevention, mental health, and
disabilities.

A Commitment To America's Youth

The President And Mrs. Bush Believe Every American Has The Opportunity To
Help Children And Youth To Avoid Trouble And Lead More Hopeful Lives. In
his 2005 State of the Union Address, the President announced "a broader
outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and
community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports." He asked
Laura Bush to lead this effort, which became known as Helping America's
Youth.
  þ Helping America's Youth Helps Children And Teenagers By Emphasizing
    Three Key Areas: Family, School, And Community.
      þ 

        The Importance Of Family: The President and Mrs. Bush believe
        parents and family are the first and most important influence in
        every child's life, providing a foundation of love and support. The
        President's FY 2006 budget supports families in many ways,
        including initiatives to promote healthy marriages and responsible
        fatherhood.
      þ 

        The Importance Of School: Schools equip children with the knowledge
        and skills to be successful throughout their lives. The President's
        FY 2006 budget helps to ensure America's schools are producing
        results for every child in America and includes initiatives focused
        on at-risk youth. For example, the President's Striving Readers
        initiative focuses on improving the reading skills of middle and
        high school students who read below grade level.
      þ 

        The Importance Of Community: A loving, caring adult - including
        parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, rabbis, and mentors - is a
        critical influence in a child's life. The needs of at-risk youth
        are best addressed when communities work in partnership with
        parents and families, government, schools, and faith-based and
        community groups. The President's FY 2006 budget supports
        communities in many ways, including an additional $50 million for
        mentoring the children of prisoners and a multi-year $150 million
        initiative to help youth at risk of gang influence and involvement.
        These initiatives will help children find the support they need to
        succeed and provide them with positive role models.

Background: America's Youth Are At Risk
  þ Young Americans In Many Communities Are At Risk. Research has shown
    children are less likely to engage in risky behaviors when they are
    connected to parents, family, school, community, and places of worship.
    Risky behaviors, including illegal drug and tobacco use, violence, and
    early sexual activity, are among the top causes of disease and early
    death among youth. Statistics show:
      þ Boys often begin to fall behind girls in elementary school, which
        leads to higher dropout rates and juvenile delinquency, and boys
        often show signs of behavioral problems early in life.
      þ Youth who fall behind in reading have a greater chance of dropping
        out of high school altogether.
      þ Each year, there are approximately 15 million new Sexually
        Transmitted Diseases (STD) cases in the U.S., and about one-quarter
        of these are teenagers.
      þ Teen girls represent 51 percent of HIV cases reported among 13-19
        year olds.
      þ Almost 900,000 girls under the age of 19 become pregnant every
        year.
      þ Injury and violence are the leading cause of death among youth aged
        5-19; motor vehicle crashes account for 31 percent of all deaths
        among youth aged 5-19; and alcohol and other drug use is a factor
        in approximately 41 percent of all deaths from motor vehicle
        crashes.
      þ Statistics show boys are at greater risk than girls for developing
        learning disabilities, illiteracy, dropping out of school,
        substance-abuse problems, violence, juvenile arrest, and early
        death caused by violent behavior. As boys grow older, risky
        behaviors, such as alcohol and drug abuse, become more prevalent
        and gang involvement increases.

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