Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane May Benefit From Summit Gathering In Philadelphia Inspires Local Delegation To Work For Change

Spokane delegates to a national youth summit plan to hold a local conference this fall in an attempt to improve health, safety and education for children in the community.

“We need to find out what we’ve got out there, and how do we tie it all together,” Spokane City Councilman Jeff Colliton said as the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future drew to a close Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“There’s a huge challenge to energize the city.”

For 2-1/2 days, speaker after speaker stressed the national summit’s five goals for volunteers:

Provide an adult mentor for each child who needs one.

Marshal the medical resources for a healthy start.

Protect children with a safe environment.

Teach marketable skills through sound education.

Encourage successful youths to give back to the community through their own volunteer efforts.

In workshops, Spokane delegates met with like-minded representatives of other cities.

“We found we have a lot of common challenges,” said Joanne Benham of Spokane’s Chase Youth Commission.

Spokane already has schools, community groups and government programs that address some of the goals, Colliton said. What it may need more than anything is coordination of its efforts.

The 10 Spokane delegates, who have promised to work on the goals for the next three years, plan to schedule “mini summits,” or neighborhood meetings, throughout the summer to talk with people and agencies involved in volunteer work.

They will ask businesses and individuals to sign a “pledge book” with promises to help improve conditions for Spokane’s children.

Sometime in the early fall, they hope to hold a community-wide summit on youth.

One crucial need is for a system that connects a willing volunteer with a worthwhile program, Benham said.

“If we have a call to action, we’d better be prepared to handle the response we get,” she said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE INTERNET The list of priorities for Spokane, written by local delegates to the Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future, can be found on the Internet at the summit organizers’ Web site. Use the address www.americaspromise.org, then follow the prompts to Digital Neighborhood.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE INTERNET The list of priorities for Spokane, written by local delegates to the Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future, can be found on the Internet at the summit organizers’ Web site. Use the address www.americaspromise.org, then follow the prompts to Digital Neighborhood.