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Connecticut Promise Neighborhoods
This page is a directory of Promise Neighborhoods initiatives in Connecticut. Additional information about these initiatives will be posted at DataHaven; please contact us if you would like to post something or get involved.
Promise Neighborhoods is a proposed federal initiative inspired by the approach and achievements of the Harlem Children’s Zone. Its purpose is to help selected local communities dramatically improve outcomes and opportunities for children and families, at scale, in defined neighborhoods. The initiative will necessarily be diverse in its application, reflecting local needs and context. Looking ahead to this variation, and given the importance of what Promise Neighborhoods seeks to achieve for so many children, families, and communities, keeping the ultimate, desired results at the forefront of all aspects of the initiative is essential. (Source: CSSP, 2009, See below)
List of Connecticut "Promise Neighborhoods" Collaborations
1. Meriden Promise Neighborhood (funded for 2012 planning): See http://www.meridenfamilyzone.org/ for more information.
2. New Haven: Dwight-Edgewood-West River Promise Neighborhoods Collaboration
Please contact DataHaven to add public information to this site regarding Promise Neighborhoods.
3. Bridgeport collaborative has submitted a Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant application (July 2012).
Background Information
Evidence-based Practices for the Promise Neighborhoods Continuum of Solutions
The U.S. Department of Education requires each applicant for Promise Neighborhood funding to specify a "continuum of solutions" form "cradle to career" that are grounded in solid evidence. There are a progression of levels of evidence that are cited by experts from expert opinion to randomized controlled trials.
Interventions along the Continuum:
Early Childhood
- Early Literacy
- Early Care and Education, including quality improvement
- Home-based Child Care
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
College and Workforce Initiatives
Materials for Promise Neighborhoods, from Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)
CSSP has posted two new publications on its website that discuss a results-based focus as an integral part of the Promise Neighborhoods initiative.
• Focusing on Results in Promise Neighborhoods Recommendations for the Federal Initiative
This is a discussion paper jointly authored by the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), PolicyLink, and The Center for the Study of Social Policy, with contributions by Child Trends. This paper will be useful to any community-based, community change effort. It describes how a focus on results would contribute to the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, from the planning, design, startup activities and program implementation through the evaluation of the individual sites.
File:Focusing on Results in Promise Neighborhoods REV FIN 11 10 09.pdf
• Outcomes and Indicators for Children An Analysis to Inform Discussions about Promise Neighborhoods
This was produced by Child Trends and is a companion piece to the Focusing on Results paper. It is a synthesis of research about the factors contributing to children’s healthy development, academic success, and college graduation. It also contains a literature review and a list of references that supports the research.
File:PN Outcomes Indicators- FIN 11 06 09.pdf
Definitions of Neighborhood Assets
Neighborhood assets, which are critical for any Promise Neighborhood initiative to support, include:
- Developmental assets that allow residents to attain the skills needed to be successful in all aspects of daily life (e.g., educational institutions, early learning centers, and health resources);
- Commercial assets that are associated with production, employment, transactions, and sales (e.g., labor force and retail establishments);
- Recreational assets that create value in a neighborhood beyond work and education (e.g., parks, open space, community gardens, and arts organizations);
- Physical assets that are associated with the built environment and physical infrastructure (e.g., housing, commercial buildings, and roads); and
- Social assets that establish well-functioning social interactions (e.g., public safety and community engagement).
Additional Information
For more background, the internet is rich with information regarding Promise Neighborhoods and the model Harlem Children's Zone initiative (HCZ). For example, please see:
1. Application and Information about Planning Grant Award winners, at U.S. Department of Education: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html
2. Promise Neighborhoods Institute: http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.5136647/k.3BB1/Creating_Promise_Neighborhoods.htm
3. Promise Neighborhoods Institute: Why End Results Should Drive Initial Program Planning: http://www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org/results/
4. An overview of the program's approach may be downloaded here: http://www.alliance1.org/Public_Policy/Neighborhoods/Tipping_neighborhoods.pdf
5. About the Harlem Children's Zone (White Papers, Research): http://www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org/about-hcz/
6. Information about and from Social Solutions related to their Efforts To Outcomes web-based database.
