Last week, Powell reviewed the efforts to put that appeal into action. Speaking at a junior high school in Washington, D.C., the retired general remained upbeat but was careful not to oversell the summit's accomplishments. First, it is a very tall glass. Second, it is not even near half. We're just getting started.
Data are hard to come by.
America's Promise, the summit's follow-on organization, got only a 70 percent response to requests for updates from all organizations that made pledges at the Philadelphia meeting. Some big organizations, such as Catholic Charities and the National Restaurant Association, were still gathering information on their efforts. Still, more than 41 cities and 13 states have held local follow-up summits, and about 81 are planned for the first half of next year. Powell, who is the head of America's Promise, has found notable success among corporations. Taco Bell has opened six centers to provide teenagers after-school activities and job training.