City Council

Greater Midland... One of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in America!

100 Best Recognition for Greater Midland:   For the fourth straight year, the Greater Midland community was named one of the 100 Best communities for young people in America on October 12, 2011. The 100 Best competition, sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance, honors communities for their commitment to providing healthy, safe, and caring environments for young people. 

"We are proud of Greater Midland for being named one of America’s 100 Best communities for kids," said Midland Mayor Maureen Donker. "This award recognizes the hard work of many community members who have dedicated countless hours to making a difference in the lives of our young people."

Celebrating During Kids Day 2012: A big crowd gathered at the Midland Mall main stage on Sat., Jan. 28, 2012, to celebrate Greater Midland's recent designation as one of America's top 100 places for kids!  Midland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mark Bone, Shelterhouse's Sharon Mortenson, Midland County Educational Service Agency Superintendent John Searles, and Todd Bertsch of ING/America's Promise shared why Midland is such a great community for kids. Following receipt of our award, kids in the audience were treated to a unique demonstration of science made fun by local chemistry professor-turned-entertainer, Dr. Slime.

This free celebration was sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance and The Dow Chemical Company.

100 Best History in Midland: Midland is a four-year winner of the national 100 Best award. The community won in 2011 because it offers a myriad of programs for young people that promote volunteerism, leadership, and educational excellence. Researched-based programs such as Safe Dates, SITCAP (Structured Intervention for Traumatized Children, Adolescents, and Parents), and Moms Club/Kids Club have reached nearly 20,000 people to help improve relationship skills and offer much needed support. Midland youth development programs have contributed to a 35 percent reduction in delinquency, a 56 percent reduction in recidivism, and a cost savings of approximately $1.5 million for courts over the past three years. The Lunch Box Learners program, which brings together elementary students and volunteers to work on reading skills, created 53 partnerships through eight schools and resulted in more than 500 books read during 2010-2011.

More than 300 communities from across the nation participated in the 2011 competition.

On October 12, 2011, Greater Midland and the other winning communities were recognized at a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. In addition to the 100 Best distinction, the top communities are receiving $2,500 to be applied towards a celebration and/or to help support specific youth-centered programs in the community. Greater Midland is also receiving signage identifying the community as one of 100 Best for kids and access to community development resources through America’s Promise Alliance.

To find out more about the many programs and initiatives that make Greater Midland a 100 Best community for kids, click on the 2011 application (in PDF format) at left.

More Information

For information about the 100 Best competition and a complete list of this year’s winning communities, visit http://www.americaspromise.org/100Best.