ABOUT SC2

President Barack Obama established the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) in 2012 as an innovative approach for supporting cities experiencing population and job loss, persistent poverty, capacity constraints, and similar challenges in an era of ever dwindling resources. SC2 was officially launched under Executive Order 13602.

SC2 APPROACH

Through SC2, 19 federal agencies work together in partnership with committed city leaders as they implement locally driven economic visions.

SC2 does not involve new federal money nor is it a top-down approach. Based on a city’s local vision and its request for federal involvement, SC2 seeks to support each city by increasing federal-local collaboration and improving how the federal government invests in and delivers technical assistance to advance locally driven economic development and job creation goals.

SC2 consists of four components and will work with more than 80 cities across the U.S.

1. SC2 Deployed Federal Community Solutions Teams
2. SC2 National Resource Network
3. SC2 Fellows and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers
4. SC2 Economic Visioning Challenge

SC2 VALUE-ADD

Mayors, city staff, local partners, federal agencies, and many more stakeholders attest to the efficacy of complementing a locally-driven vision with the support of a coordinated, interagency federal team. The SC2 approach adds value by providing:

• A better federal partner that supports local communities through stronger coordination, resulting in better communication, understanding of federal programs, and utilization of federal resources and stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
• The power of convening resulting in new opportunities for collaboration and lasting partnerships across multiple sectors and all levels of government.
• Enhanced capacity at the local level for constrained local governments.
• Information, tools, and data that communities can use to make more informed decisions.