In the early 1990s, HCZ ran a pilot project that brought a range of support services to a single block. The idea was to address all the problems that poor families were facing: from crumbling apartments to failing schools, from violent crime to chronic health problems.
HCZ created a 10-year business plan, then to ensure its best-practice programs were operating as planned, HCZ was in the vanguard of nonprofits that began carefully evaluating and tracking the results of their work. Those evaluation results enabled staff to see if programs were achieving their objectives and to take corrective actions if they were not.
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. Today the Children's Zone® serves more than 8,000 children and 6,000 adults. Overall, the organization serves more than 10,000 children and more than 7,400 adults. The FY 2010 budget for the agency overall is over $75 million.
A history of innovation
Over the years, the agency introduced several ground-breaking efforts: 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.
Under the visionary leadership of its President and CEO, Geoffrey Canada, HCZ continues to offer innovative, efficiently run programs that are aimed at doing nothing less than breaking the cycle of generational poverty for the thousands of children and families it serves.
I have subscribed to the newsletter for the Harlem Children's Zone and this week the newsletter included information about the CEO, Geoffrey Canada appearing on NBC Nightly News to discuss education, poverty and the budget. The newsletter also included an article about Prince donating $1 million to Harlem Children's Zone as well as a a video article aobut the early childhood program entitled "Voices from Harlem: Early Childhood". The video is a short video that allows followers to see how the program is benefiting children and also discusses the Baby College, The Three-Year-Old Journey and the Harlem Gems Pre-K classes. The children are precious! The center is child centered and demonstrates that children are learning through discovery and exploration. I hope that everyone will take the opportunity to look at the articles and videos.
My perception…..
In many communities today we are witnessing a decline in the support children have for their educational and developmental journeys. Over my adult life I have discovered that the ultimate solution to our current educational state is to provide children with the best foundation they can receive from birth to age 5. The Harlem Children’s Zone is the perfect example of how one organization can start out on a small level and over the years impact the whole community. I am interested in this program because I see how it has made a difference in a community that society had given up on. Today, parents are battling to get their children into this program from the moment they are born. This is a huge compliment to the program. What would the world be like if all parents were doing all they could to get their children the best education possible? Parents are dedicated to the success of their children and abide by the guidelines to insure that their students are excelling. I am excited by this ideal and hope to learn how I can create such an opportunity within my own community.
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