The Harlem Project

1. The Harlem Project Harlem Children’s Zone and Geoffrey Canada Presented By Cathy Freeman and Kelly Muzzey

2. Geoffrey Canada *Geoffrey Canada is the president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone. *He grew up in the Bronx surrounded by violence and drugs, but used his education as a way out. *He earned his bachelor’s degree at Bowdoin College and his master’s from Harvard School of Education. *He started teaching English and Social Studies in Boston. He set out to change the world, intending to “straighten out education in the nation.” He found out he was not a very good teacher. *He quit teaching and returned to New York as an educational consultant, studying the pitfalls of public education and developing strategies to solve the problems. * In 1990 He became the president of a nonprofit charitable organization in Harlem called the Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, which would become the Harlem Children’s Zone.

3. History The creation of Children’s Zone: *In the early 1990s the HCZ, originally known as the Rheedlen Center for Children and Families, started a pilot program that brought a “safety net” program to a single block to address the many problems facing the poor families in that area. *A ten year business plan was developed, as were processes for evaluating and tracking the work that was being done. Corrections were being made if areas of non achievement were found. *The agency began a network of programs that expanded to a 24-block area in 1997 to now what has grown to almost 100 blocks, serving over 10,000 children and 6,000 adults. It has increased the yearly operating budget to over $75 million

4. Purpose The all-encompassing goal of the organization is to break the cycle of generational poverty by: • creating a “wrap around” approach that allows children of poverty access to services that are available to middle class children, • transforms the physical and social environment, • creating programs extensive enough to meet the needs of the community,

5. Purpose • creating a pipeline of support for each and every child implementing best practices, • building community investment, • continual evaluation and feedback for continued improvement, • cultivating a culture of success for the whole neighborhood. “Fix the schools without fixing the families and the community, and the children will fail; but they will also fail if you improve the surrounding community without fixing the schools.”-Geoffrey Canada

6. The Pipeline Harlem Children’s Zone-Creating a “Cradle to College” approach providing Harlem’s youth and their families with resources they need to engage in a global society.

7. Levels of Support • Early Childhood-The Baby College & Harlem Gems • Elementary School Programs-Promise Academy Charter School • Middle School Programs-Promise Academy Charter School-Student Advocates • High School Programs-Employment and Technology Center-Student Advocates • College Programs-College Success Office-College Advisors

8. Levels of Support After school programs at all levels • Peacemakers (Elem) • Beacons (MS) • TRUCE Fitness (MS)/(HS) • Beacons (HS) Health Services • HCZ Asthma Initiative • Obesity Program

9. Ensuring Youth are Prepared for a Successful Future 21st Century Skills, Content & Behavior Ready For Career Ready For College Informational & Media Literacy Communication Critical & Systems Thinking Problem Solving Creativity, Intellectual Curiosity Interpersonal Skills Self-Direction Accountability and Adaptability Social Responsibility Financial Literacy Global Awareness Civic Literacy Specific Vocational Knowledge & Skills and Behaviors Subject Matter, Knowledge & Cognitive Skills, & Behavior Ready For Life Cultural, Physical & Behavioral Health Knowledge, Skills and Behaviors

10. HCZ Outcomes • 100% of students in Harlem Gems Pre-K were school-ready for multiple years in a row • 81% of Baby College parents improved the frequency of reading to their kids • $4.8 million return in free tax preparation • 10,883 youth served in 2008 • 100% of 3rd graders scored at or above grade level (year was not provided) • HCZ was featured in the movie “Waiting for Superman” • President Obama plans to replicate the successes in cities across the country

11. Don’t Blame MeBy Geoffrey Canada • DON’T BLAME MEFebruary 2007 • The girl’s mother said, “Don’t blame me.Her father left when she was three.I know she don’t know her ABCs, her 1,2,3s,But I am poor and work hard you see.”You know the story, it’s don’t blame me. • The teacher shook her head and said,“Don’t blame me, I know it’s sad.He’s ten, but if the truth be told,He reads like he was six years old.And math, don’t ask.It’s sad you see.Wish I could do more, but it’s after three.Blame the mom, blame soci­ety, blame the sys­tem.Just don’t blame me.” • The judge was angry, his expres­sion cold.He scowled and said, “Son you’ve been told.Break the law again and you’ll do time.You’ve robbed with a gun.Have you lost your mind?”The young man opened his mouth to beg.“Save your breath,” he heard instead.“Your daddy left when you were two.Your momma didn’t take care of you.Your school pre­pared you for this fall.Can’t read, can’t write, can’t spell at all.But you did the crime for all to see.You’re going to jail, son.Don’t blame me.” • If there is a God or a per­son supreme,A final reck­on­ing, for the kind and the mean,And judg­ment is ren­dered on who passed the buck,Who blamed the vic­tim or proudly stood up,You’ll say to the world, “While I couldn’t save all,I did not let these chil­dren fall.By the thou­sands I helped all I could see.No excuses, I took full respon­si­bil­ity.No mat­ter if they were black or white,Were cursed, ignored, were wrong or right,Were shunned, pre-judged, were short or tall,I did my best to save them all.”And I will bear wit­ness for eter­nityThat you can state proudly,“Don’t blame me.”

12. Closing Words from Geoffrey Canada Geoffrey Canada is profiled by NY Times http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca9rd4aA_t0&t=1m5s HCZ Building a Culture of Success http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bH99Q89IQQ