America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth, will commemorate its 20th Anniversary with Recommit to Kids | The Summit for America’s Future, a daylong event to refocus the nation on issues concerning children and youth.
Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have signed on as honorary co-hosts of the Summit, along with America’s Promise Alliance’s Founding Chair Gen. Colin Powell and Chair Mrs. Alma Powell, urging every American to recommit to kids. The Summit will be held at New York City’s Marriott Marquis on April 18 and will feature prominent leaders from the business, philanthropic, nonprofit, government, education and faith communities.
“In a nation built on the promise of equal opportunity, not all children have an equal chance to succeed,” said Gen. and Mrs. Powell in a joint statement. “We have more work to do. This Summit is a chance to once again rally the nation by engaging in serious and necessary conversations around the issues young people face, re-energizing people who work with and advocate for kids every day and attracting new supporters to our cause. We call on every adult to recommit their time, energy and skills so every child is prepared to pursue their American dream.”
Confirmed Summit attendees to-date include:
Alma Powell,chair, America’s Promise Alliance
Anna Deavere Smith, American actress, playwright and professor
Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education
Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president/CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Darren Walker, president, Ford Foundation
Elaine Wynn, co-founder, Wynn Resorts; board chair, Communities In Schools
Gen. Colin L. Powell (Ret.), founding chair, America’s Promise Alliance
George Weiss, founder and chairman, Say Yes to Education
Fr. Greg Boyle, founder and executive director, Homeboy Industries
Henry Cisneros, former secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Jose Antonio Vargas, founder and CEO, DefineAmerican
Michael Sorrell, president, Paul Quinn College
Nadine Burke Harris, founder and CEO, Center for Youth Wellness
Soledad O’Brien, Host of “Matter of Fact” TV show; co-founder of PowHERful Foundation; CEO, Starfish Media
Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, founder and CEO, BUILD
Tiffany Yu, founder, Diversability
The Summit will be followed by the third annual Promise Night. The gala will include the presentation of the Promise of America awards, the organization’s highest honor, recognizing exemplary individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitments to children and youth.
More names are being confirmed every week. Updates to speakers and awardees are available on the website.
America’s Promise was born out of the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future, which was held in Philadelphia in April 1997. The original Summit was attended by all living U.S. presidents and thousands of other dignitaries, including 26 governors, 92 mayors and delegations from 145 communities who set differences aside to put America’s children first – setting a unique precedent for the country. Since then, America’s Promise has continued to advocate on behalf of the nation’s young people, working to increase high school graduation rates, releasing groundbreaking research, and bringing people together across hundreds of communities to help every child thrive, especially those being left behind.
To learn more about the 20th Anniversary events, please visit www.Recommit2Kids.org.
