Alexandria "100 Best Communities for Young People"

The importance Alexandria places on funding children's programs, such as the Center for Alexandria's Children, which opened in March and works to treat and prevent child abuse, is one of the major reasons the city was chosen as a winner, said Colleen Wilber, a spokeswoman at America's Promise Alliance.

"Alexandria is doing a lot of great things," Wilber said. "With this competition, we are spotlighting the innovative and unique, but more importantly, the effective things that these communities are doing to help these children succeed."

The center has been effective because it gathers multiple resources in one centralized location, according to Ronald Frazier, the city's director of the Office of Youth Services. The child-friendly setting "reduces the amount of trauma that the kids are subject to" by coordinating the prosecution, treatment and prevention of child abuse so that the child doesn't have to repeat his or her story, Frazier said.

The involvement of politicians in youth programs, such as the mayor's position as chairman of the city's Youth Policy Commission, adds to the ability of Alexandria to meet the needs of its young people, Frazier said.

Other areas the city focuses on are teen-pregnancy prevention, education and mentoring, according to city officials.

While Alexandria didn't win any money for its honor, applicants can apply for $300,000 in grants from the alliance. It's not about the money, though, Wilber said.

"These communities, their primary 'get' of this is recognition," Wilber said. "It's priceless, by many terms."

Four other Virginia communities - none in the Washington area - and Salisbury, Md., were given the award.

America's Promise Alliance, founded in 1997 Colin Powell, works to get children the resources they need through grants and other initiatives, Wilber said.