Minneapolis City leaders applaud the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement today that $28 million in funding is being awarded to the Northside Achievement Zone, which will provide a significant boost to efforts to help Northside children succeed and thrive.
The award is one of five Promise Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded in the country this year. The grant will be used to ensure children and youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to great schools and strong systems of family and community support. The goal is to prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career.
The Promise Neighborhoods program aims to address significant challenges faced by students and families living in high-poverty communities by providing resources to plan and implement a continuum of services from early learning to college and career. Plans include a range of services from improving a neighborhood’s health, safety, and stability to expanding access to learning technology and Internet connectivity, and boosting family engagement in student learning.
Minnesota’s achievement gap is consistently among the largest in the nation, with arguably the most significant impact hitting in north Minneapolis. Through the coordinated effort of more than 60 organizations and schools in the Northside Achievement Zone, the gap will be closed and replaced with a culture of high achievement.
To learn more, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html.
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