"Promise Neighborhoods" modeled after "Harlem Children's Zone"

President Obama stressed how critical education is for Americans in his State of the Nation. I have highlighted the "Serve America Act" and gone over the basics of the plan which President Obama has laid out. A lot of the attention has gone towards higher education, however President Obama has stressed that k-12 is one of the most significant proposals in which he wants to put more money into early childhood education.

The money would go towards a program called "Promise Neighborhoods." This is modeled after the successful New York program called " Harlem Children's Zone." Obama's program would provide a "rigorous k-12 education" to poor urban kids. The program would also provide many services for the families. These services include, health care, parenting classes, nutrition, family counseling, and preschool.

What is the "Harlem Children's Zone"?

"Harlem Children's Zone" originally began in 1970 but became what it is today starting in 1997. "The agency began a network of programs for a 24-block area: the Harlem Children's Zone Project. In 2007, the Zone Project grew to almost 100 blocks and served 7,400 children and over 4,100 adults".

"Harlem Children's Zone" has introduced several of the most innovative programs. "In 2000, The Baby College parenting workshops; in 2001, the Harlem Gems pre-school program; also in 2001, the HCZ Asthma Initiative, which teaches families to better manage the disease; in 2004, the Promise Academy, a high-quality public charter school; and in 2006, an obesity program to help children stay healthy."

Mr. Geoffrey Canada is the President and Chief Executive of "Harlem Children's Zone." He has been a part of the program for over 20 years and has become a nationally recognized figure for his work serving children, families, and his passionate advocacy for education reform. "The National Book Award-winning author Jonathan Kozol called Mr. Canada, "One of the few authentic heroes of New York and one of the best friends children have, or ever will have, in our nation."

Other information is provided in detail here at the website.

Below is a video explaining the project. Enjoy!