When it comes to fighting poverty, mayors play a pivotal role. They shape policies, set budgets, and oversee essential city services. Beyond these responsibilities, they can serve as catalysts for cross-sector collaboration — uniting schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations to tackle pressing challenges. By excelling in both governance and partnership-building, mayors can advance a critical […] The post William Julius Wilson Institute Launches Mayors’ Neighborhood Academy to Help Leaders Fight Poverty in Their Cities appeared first on Harlem Children's Zone ..read more

In the early hours of a cold winter morning, Dushon Foster, Director of Facilities at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), was already hard at work. A malfunctioning boiler at HCZ Promise Academy II threatened to delay the school day. With a few hours until classes began, he had to act fast. “I had to make sure […] The post Facilities Team Cultivates Spaces Where Scholars Build Futures appeared first on Harlem Children's Zone ..read more

Kwame Owusu-Kesse stood on stage at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, kicking off Power of Place before hundreds of cross-sector leaders, practitioners, and policymakers — a group dedicated to driving social and economic mobility, at scale, for our country’s most vulnerable children and families. It was the culmination of a vision he and Geoffrey Canada had […] The post It Takes a Village: William Julius Wilson Institute Hosts Third Annual Power of Place Convening appeared first on Harlem Children's Zone ..read more

My name is Kwame Owusu-Kesse, the proud CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). Since taking on the role of CEO in 2020, this work has become so much more than a job — indeed, it is deeply personal. It’s because I see myself in the young people we serve. Growing up in Worcester, Mass., I […] The post Meet Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse appeared first on Harlem Children's Zone ..read more

Back to School 2024 is upon us — and we can’t wait to see our scholars’ smiling faces in our buildings! We’re excited to open our doors for the first day of school at HCZ Promise Academy (September 4) and the first day of Zone Programs (September 23).  As we head into the 2024-2025 academic […] The post Back to School and Programs 2024: What Harlem Children’s Zone Families Need to Know appeared first on Harlem Children's Zone ..read more

Growing up, Natalia Pierre was surrounded by younger cousins. Being the older child, she became the de facto big sister, keeping her cousins safe and on the right path. That nurturing role blossomed into a passion for empowering young people — helping them succeed just as she did her own family. Natalia followed that passion to a career in teaching — a role she has held at Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy for over a decade. At our top-performing charter school, Natalia has helped a generation of scholars thrive academically and build bright futures for themselves and their families ..read more

When DeniLee Peroza’s son, Reginald, enrolled at Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy, he wasn’t the only one who joined the Promise community. His family came along, too. Reginald, a first-grader, benefits from our high-quality curriculum, social-emotional learning, and after-school programs. At the same time, he and DeniLee attend family events together at our West Side Community Center, and they learn about health and wellness at Healthy Harlem.  When the family was going through tough times, HCZ Promise Academy was by their side to provide family support. “My dad was very sic ..read more

Shania Sanders, a junior at HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools, has a lot to be proud of: she’s taking Advanced Placement classes, is a member of the National Honor Society, and represents her class in Student Government. Next year, she’ll add two highlights to her impressive resume: high school graduate and student at Emory University on a full-ride scholarship. “That’s how ready my baby is to succeed,” says Shania’s mom, Lisa McNear. From the moment she joined Three-Year-Old Journey — our program for HCZ Promise Academy scholars who secure early enrollment in kindergarten at our top ..read more

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) Wealth Builds — an audacious new initiative that aims to end intergenerational poverty and close the wealth gap by empowering young people and families to build successful financial futures — is featured in The New York Times. The story, “A Plan to Help Harlem Students Build Wealth: Start Them Off With $10,000,” explores Wealth Builds’ Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF), one of nine research-backed pillars the initative deploys. Through YOF, our scholars receive an investment fund they can withdraw from in adulthood for wealth-generating activities, such as paying for ..read more

In a few weeks, our HCZ Promise Academy and Zone Programs high school seniors will walk across the graduation stage and into the next chapter of their lives. But first, they had to decide where they were going to college! To mark that big decision, we held National College Signing Day 2024. Hosted by our College Success Office (CSO), the annual event is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate our seniors for getting into and choosing the college they will attend in the fall. During National College Signing Day 2024, scholars explored the college experience with themed ..read more