Politics & Government

Town Again Makes 100 Best Communities for Young People List

America's Promise Alliance is out with their annual list and for the second year in a row Hamden is on it.

On the heels of being named to CNN/Money Magazine's Top 100 Places to Live, Hamden has been named to the Top 100 Best Communities for Young People to Live by America's Promise Alliance and ING.

Mayor Scott Jackson, Supt. of Schools Fran Rabinowitz and Hamden High School Principal Gary Highsmith made the announcement Wednesday afternoon in the high school's auditorium in front of a group of  high school students.

"I think the two go hand in hand," Jackson said of the two honors. "Great places to live are great places for young people."

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"While I'm not surprised," Highsmith said of the latest honor, "I'm certainly grateful."

The national award was given to Hamden to recognize its outstanding and innovative work to increase high school graduation rates and provide programs and services that make it an outstanding place for youth to live, learn and grow, according to a release from the organization.

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Hamden is one of three Connecticut municipalities chosen who will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources. The other two state cities included in the list are Norwalk and Waterbury.

America’s Promise Alliance is a coalition of more than 400 nonprofit groups, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers that come together with the goal of improving the lives of children and youth.

"I'm honored to be the superintendent in a town where students are the number one priority," Rabinowitz said.

"Hamden is a big town of 61,000 people," Jackson said, "but we still operate like a small town and I want to maintain that."


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