Youth First Community of Promise (YFCoP) is an organization that is both ground-breaking and rooted in proven youth developmental practices. Born in 1991 as Youth First, it was created by visionaries who were able to reach across governmental boundaries and form a collaboration to reduce risky behaviors in youth in the communities of Andover, Anoka, and Ramsey.
Over the past 19 years, Youth First Community of Promise has been actively serving the youth and families of its community. In 2005, Youth First became a “Community of Promise” under the framework established by the national program model of America’s Promise.
By becoming a “Site of Promise” YFCoP has taken the pledge to actively engage not only their community youth, but the community itself, in fulfilling 5 specific promises:
1. Caring adults
2. Safe places
3. A healthy start and future
4. An effective education
5. Opportunities to give back
By ensuring that our community youth are given the opportunity to consistently experience these promises YFCoP and its supporting members are building a future where youth are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and civically, regardless of ethnic or economic boundaries.