Background
The
Promise Neighborhood Grant Program is an Obama-led initiative based on the
educational model of the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). The Intent
of this program is to significantly improve educational and developmental
outcomes of all children in our most distressed communities, including rural
and tribal communities, and to inevitably transform those communities by using the Harlem Children’s Zone as a foundation for replication
nationwide. This funding opportunity is being offered by the U.S. Department of Education Office of
Innovation and Improvement.
The
Harlem Childrens Zone is a community based organization that offers a
comprehensive strategy in addressing and ending generational poverty in
distressed communities. Their efforts started
in 1970 and have made a significant difference in improving educational
outcomes for the most vulnerable children in Harlem. The agency
began to work to strengthen families and build communities through a wide
variety of programs --from The Baby College parenting workshop series to The
Harlem Gems pre-kindergarten program to Community Pride, which creates and
revitalizes tenant and block associations. Today HCZ serves over 13,000 people,
including over 9,500 children. The agency and its President and CEO Geoffrey
Canada have received numerous awards for their work and have been the subjects
of media coverage by 60 Minutes, The New York Times and The Today Show. For
more information, log on to: www.hcz.org.
Harlem Children’s Zone and Hawai‘i
In November 2009, representatives from INPEACE, the State
Department of Education, Hawai‘i P-20 Partnerships for Education, Kamehameha Schools, Good Beginnings Alliance as well
as hundreds of others from neighborhoods across the nation attended a three
day conference on the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City.
Participants were given an opportunity to hear key note speakers U.S. Secretary
Arne Duncan and HCZ CEO Geoffrey Canada as well as several others on the
importance of education. In addition, they received incredible insight on
the comprehensive strategies behind the Harlem Children’s Zone.
Promise Neighborhood for Wai‘anae
As a result, in February 2010, the Hawai‘i representatives shared their
experiences from this conference with over 40 heads of community organizations
and residents in Wai‘anae. Those
who participated in this event were asked to take the presentation information
back to their respective communities to generate interest and
participation in creating a Promise Neighborhood
for Wai‘anae. Their feedback was overwhelming and positive. The community agreed to engage
in the planning process to create a culturally appropriate and comprehensive
strategy in addressing the needs of children and families in Wai‘anae.
Several organizations including non-profits, state departments, for-profits and most importantly, residents, have participated in collaborative community meetings to
submit a proposal on behalf of Wai‘anae for a Promise Neighborhood.
Through several community meetings, participants named the
project Ke Ala Hānau Moku, the rebirthing of a just community.
In June 2010, INPEACE submitted a proposal on behalf of this
community-based initiative to plan a Promise
Neighborhood for Wai‘anae. In this
grant proposal, 24 organizations representing a broad spectrum of services
signed a memorandum of understanding to engage in the planning process.
This project is community driven with residents steering the process. The US Department of Education intends to notify organizations who have been awarded under this grant program later this year.
View Documentation that Support this Proposal:
