OKC Among The Nation's 100 Best Communities For Young People

Oklahoma City is among one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, according to an annual competition by America's Promise Alliance and ING. Communities across the nation are honored in recognition of the innovative and effective work being done to raise graduation rates and improve the lives of young people.

A six-time 100 Best winner, Oklahoma City continues to serve as a national model for making youth a citywide priority by offering a variety of programs to help support their academic success and overall well-being.

The community's Youth Services' Teen Service Board, run by high school students, helps teens in need by holding back-to-school supplies drives, and assembling food baskets for students from low-income homes. The Teen Services Board has also hosted a telethon where $10,000 was raised for the Supporting Kids in Independent Living (SKIL) program that provides resources to high school students who live on their own.

The competition also recognized the city for making educational achievement a top priority. In fact, this year's 100 winners have a collective average high school graduation rate of nearly 80 percent compared to the national rate of 75.5 percent.