Macon-Bibb County will hold a forum for youth ages 8-20 on Saturday, February 28 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers at Government Center (700 Poplar Street). The forum is part of the Macon-Bibb’s participation in the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative and is being hosted by the Mayor’s Office, Commissioners Tillman and Watkins, and the local Strong Cities, Strong Communities team.

The day will start with an overview of My Brother’s Keeper, its goals nationally, and how it could be implemented in Macon-Bibb County. Discussions will then be held so the youth can let Macon-Bibb know what issues they face, what they need to be successful, and how they think they can help improve their community. Responses will be used along with information gathered through previous meetings with community groups and stakeholders about needs and resources to develop a local action plan.

Of the six goals identified by The White House, Macon-Bibb and partners – after talking with community groups and stakeholders – are planning to focus on the following three goals as they have been deemed the most vital to our success.

• Ensuring all children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready;
• Ensuring all children read at grade level by 3rd grade; and
• Ensuring all youth graduate from high school.

MBK Community Challenge
(Source: The White House)

In September 2014, President Obama issued a challenge to cities, towns, counties and tribes across the country to become “MBK Communities.” This challenge represents a call to action for all members of our communities, and mayors in particular, as they often sit at the intersection of many of the vital forces and structural components needed to enact sustainable change through policy, programs, and partnerships.

The MBK Community Challenge encourages communities (cities, rural municipalities, and tribal nations) to implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy for improving the life outcomes of all young people to ensure that they can reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born.

The six goals of the Challenge are:

• Ensuring all children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready;
• Ensuring all children read at grade level by 3rd grade;
• Ensuring all youth graduate from high school;
• Ensuring all youth complete post-secondary education or training;
• Ensuring all youth out of school are employed; and
• Ensuring all youth remain safe from violent crime.

The Challenge calls upon mayors, Tribal leaders, town and county executives, encouraging them to take the following steps:  within 45 days of accepting the Challenge, local communities convene a Local Action Summit with key public and private sector stakeholders to assess needs, determine priorities, and decide what combination of the above objectives they will tackle; within six months of accepting the Challenge, communities publicly launch a plan of action for accomplishing their goals, which will include a protocol for tracking data, benchmarks for tracking progress, and a blueprint for how the community will resource its efforts.

The White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and the NCC are launching the Challenge.  The NCC will provide communities with resources to support their local planning process, assisting them in developing successful strategies for action and tracking their progress.  More information, including how local executives can sign up for the Challenge, is available at www.MBKChallenge.org.