harlem children’s zone

Harlem Children’s Zone
“An all-encompassing, all-hands-on-deck, anti-poverty effort that is literally saving a generation of children.”
— President Barack Obama
Our Results
100%
of our Harlem Gems
pre-kindergarteners were
assessed to be
“school ready”
94%
of our Promise Academy II
Charter School fourthgraders were at or above
grade level on the
statewide math exam
96%
of our Promise Academy I
High School students
passed a Regents exam in
math in 2010-11
95%
of the public school
seniors in our after-school
programs were accepted
into college
$9 million
in scholarships and grants
were awarded to our most
recent college freshmen
135
trophies were won by
our martial arts students
this year
The Harlem Children’s Zone
has created a unique, interlocking network of programs so
children can break free of the
cycle of generational poverty.
The HCZ Project has resulted
in unprecedented, large scale
success, changing the trajectories of thousands of children—
and has sparked a movement
of similar efforts across the
country. HCZ’s “pipeline to success” targets a 97 block zone in
Central Harlem with education,
social-service and communitybuilding programs for more
than 9,400 children. The entire
organization serves more than 22,000 children and adults annually.
The overall goal is to make sure that children graduate from college so
they can be prepared for the high-skills job market. HCZ has programs
to address the needs of children at each stage of their development and
also works to strengthen the families and community around them.
All of HCZ’s programs are free, and are mostly privately funded.
The pipeline starts with The Baby College, which teaches best
practices to parents of children from 0-3. HCZ runs pre-kindergarten
programs to get children on track early. Children then attend one of
two Promise Academy K-12 charter schools or are supported by HCZ
staff in the seven public schools in the Zone. HCZ also runs innovative
middle and high-school afterschool programs for local public school
students. HCZ’s College Success Office maintains an ongoing relationship with our students—many of whom are the first in their families to
attend college—so they can successfully tackle the tougher challenges
of college and graduate.
HCZ by the
Numbers
97
blocks in Central Harlem
11,403
children served in FY 2011
10,883
adults served in in FY 2011
$95 million
annual budget (FY 2012)
2,500
employees, including
1,475 part-timers
1,500
students at Promise
Academy Charter Schools
707
students attending college
18
program sites, two K-12
charter schools, and
programs at seven local
public schools
$7.4 million
in tax refunds returned
through free
tax-assistance program
hcz’s Five principles of success
Serve an entire neighborhood at scale
Create a birth-through-college pipeline of best-practice programs
Build community among parents, children, and institutions
Rigorously evaluate programs for continuous improvement
Cultivate a culture of success within the organization
www.hcz.org
hoW hcz is
FunDeD
70%
Private Funding
30%
Gov’t Funding
hoW FunDinG
is spent
92%
Programming
the hArlem chilDren’s zone is hAvinG A nAtionAl impAct
HCZ has become a national thought leader regarding education reform and anti-poverty efforts.
As word of our success in Harlem has been chronicled in the media, communities from across the
nation—from Florida to Washington State—have visited HCZ to learn more.
In the United States, dozens of groups have begun their own efforts to create a pipeline of success
for their poorest children. In addition, the federal government has created the Promise Neighborhoods initiative to create cradle-to-college programs modeled on the Harlem Children’s Zone Project.
In public forums and in the media, HCZ President Geoffrey Canada has become a leading advocate
for education reform, and elsewhere HCZ staff members have briefed government and non-profit
organizations about our comprehensive approach. Highlights of HCZ’s national influence include:
• 394 communities in the U.S. and 72 from abroad have sent delegations to HCZ workshops.
• HCZ is working with 37 communities—both Promise Neighborhoods grantees and the top-tier of
communities that applied but did not get grants. HCZ is partnering with PolicyLink and the Center
for the Study of Social Policy through the Promise Neighborhoods Institute.
8%
143rd Street
Administration
$5,000 vs $50,000+
HCZ spends $5,000 per
child annually, while New
York City spends more
than $50,000 each year to
incarcerate an inmate.
Harlem:
A Community in
Need
97 Blocks in
Central Harlem
73% of children are born
into poverty
36% of adults have not
completed high school
28% of families have an
annual income below
$15,000
Madison Ave.
Eighth Ave.
64% of children are born
to single mothers
44% obesity rate among
school children
2 times the unemployment
rate of the city and nation
Visit us at www.hcz.org.
For more information,
email MMiller@hcz.org
or call 212-360-3255.
116th Street
HCZ Development Office
35 East 125th Street
New York, NY 10035
HCZ has received ten consecutive 4-star ratings