Latino youth reach for the future - Opinion

The strength and future of our great nation truly depend on the dreams and ideals of our young people. And the next generation of Latino leaders are a big part of America's future. They must believe in their hearts that they are destined for important things--for great things. Indeed, if we believe in them, and they believe in themselves, no dream is unreachable.

The mission of America's Promise--The Alliance For Youth is simple and distinct: to ensure that all young people have the fundamental resources they need to be successful in life. We call these resources the Five Promises and they are, quite simply, the building blocks for success in life. Think about it for a moment. Every child needs a caring adult role model in his or her life, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start, a chance to learn marketable skills through an effective education, and opportunities to give back through community service.

These are the Five Promises, and together they can help a young person do better and reach further than they ever imagined. In fact, a growing body of research shows that young people who have access to the Five Promises are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, less likely to engage in violent behavior, less likely to skip school, and more likely to get good grades. As our founding chairman, General Colin Powell, likes to say: "This is not brain surgery." Common sense tells us that young people need the Five Promises in their lives.

We know what young people need. But how do we provide every child with the tools they need to dream and achieve? How can we keep America's promise? The answer is in the other half of our name. We are America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth. More than just a single institution, America's Promise is a national alliance made up of hundreds of organizations spanning all sectors of society, united with a common mission: to build the character and competence of youth by fulfilling the Five Promises.

Believe me when I tell you that the results of our work have been nothing less than amazing. Working together, we are developing programs to reduce the dropout rate, the drug problem, gang violence, teen pregnancy, the juvenile incarceration rate, and all the other troubles that beset our kids.

This past October, at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Convention and Business Expo, America's Promise and the USHCC Foundation entered into a historic partnership to help ensure a brighter future for America's Latino youth.

Reaching out to ensure Latino youth receive the Five Promises takes on particular importance because the Latino community is the youngest and fastest growing segment of the population. In fact, the median age of the Latino population is 25. Sadly, however, 30 percent of Latino youth under the age of 18 live in poverty. Additional statistics show that Latino children fare much worse than others in their age group in areas such as teen suicide, non-marital births, and crime. But it is within our collective power to help these young people.

In the weeks, months, and years ahead, the Hispanic Chamber and America's Promise will continue working passionately to recruit and mobilize whatever support it takes to help Latino children succeed in life. Working together we will prepare them for a future full of enormous possibility and endless promise. I urge you, as a leader yourself, to find ways to get involved and support this vital endeavor. Visit your community's youth center, and find out what resources they need that you might be able to provide. Explore the possibility of internships and job shadowing at your place of business. Become a mentor. These are just a few possibilities. Visit www.americaspromise.org for additional ideas or to learn more about America's Promise.

The Latino community's commitment to and passion for youth is unrivaled. La familia really is the corazon of the Latino community. As a nation and as an alliance, we can all learn from these cultural values, virtues, and commitment to family and children.

Working together, we can empower the young people in our communities with the Five Promises and put them on the road to success in life.

Peter A. Gallagher is President & CEO of America's Promise--The Alliance For Youth.

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