Seven New Cities to Participate in Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative

The Obama Administration recently announced that seven new cities will participate in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative. The new cities are Brownsville, TX; Flint, MI; Gary, IN; Macon, GA; Rockford, IL; St. Louis, MO; and Rocky Mount, NC.

SC2 was launched in 2011 to build local-federal partnerships to stimulate economic revitalization and investment in our nation’s most distressed communities. As part of SC2, federal inter-agency teams work closely with cross-sector partners in each city, including stakeholders from local government, community organizations, business, and philanthropy. AmeriCorps Vista volunteers serve as “on-the-ground liaisons with local leaders and citizens,” contributing to implementation efforts.

The initiative’s goals are to:

• Help participating cities more effectively invest existing resources;
• Provide advice and expertise in support of local priorities;
• Better align federal programs and investments; and 
• Facilitate new partnerships and peer learning opportunities wherever possible.

To learn more about the second cohort of SC2 cities, click here. You can also read more about SC2 here.