PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Promise Neighborhoods - From Harlem to Hawaii
Successful strategies to address concentrated, intergenerational poverty are comprehensive in nature and address the full range obstacles that stand in the way of poor children. One highly acclaimed model is the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City, which provides a full network of services to entire needy neighborhoods from birth to college. By providing comprehensive supports to an entire community of low-income families, the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) has made amazing progress over the last decade. Despite serving one of the most low-income, high-crime and low-academic achievement neighborhoods in New York City, over 115 former HCZ participants are currently enrolled in college; 93 percent of participating parents in the “Baby College” program have increased the amount of time they read to their young children; HCZ students have placed within the top three at national and city chess championships; 274 apartment dwellers have become first-time homeowners; HCZ students participating in support programs are much more likely to stay in school and pass the New York State Regents Exam than the New York City average.
Barack Obama will launch an initiative to create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in areas that have high levels of poverty and crime, and low levels of student academic achievement, in cities across the nation. The Promise Neighborhoods will seek to engage all resident children and their parents into an achievement program based on tangible goals, including matriculation to college for each and every participating student, strong physical and mental health outcomes for children as well as retention of meaningful employment and parenting schools for parents. The sites for Promise Neighborhoods will be selected by the federal government after review of applications from cities in conjunction with their existing non-profit social service organizations and school districts. Prior to implementation of the Promise Neighborhoods, a comprehensive long-term business plan will be developed with neighborhood residents, local community organizations, local business, school districts, city and state governments, and economic development researchers. The plan will then be adopted by consensus from community stakeholders and gradually scaled up to ensure success in every program component. Individual cities, or private entities, will be required to pay for 50% of the costs of the program.
Promise Neighborhoods will work with neighborhood organizations to provide:
• Counseling for new parents on goal-setting and proper care of infants and young children
• Early childhood education and high-quality child care
• Extended day and extended year school programs
• Safe and educational after-school programs for all resident children; programs will place
a strong emphasis on cultivating meaningful parent involvement
• Crime prevention support programs that engage both young people and community
residents to implement proven anti-crime activities
• Technology training to area youth and adults
• Job training and internship placement to resident youth by developing and maintaining
strong ties to the region’s private sector
• Community health facilities that provide basic and preventative health care services and
train residents on healthy living techniques, including proper nutrition, exercise and
development of healthy living spaces
• Resources that strengthen families including family counselors and social workers and
anti-domestic violence programs
• Financial counseling for entire families that includes emphasizing stable employment,
personal savings and home ownership
• Effective leadership development training to ensure that Promise Neighborhood
programs are sustainable and staffed by local residents.
- via http://www.barackobama.com
If you are interested in helping us make this a reality for Hawaii, please drop us an email at refugehawaii@gmail.com
