The whole idea at the Harlem Children’s Zone is to create a sort of wrap-around group of services that envelopes children from the earliest possible age and never lets them go until after college, if then.

Here’s a quick list of some of the programs involved:

Early Childhood: Baby College and a pre-K program called Harlem Gems that together have ensured every entering kindergartner who’s been in the pipeline has been ready for school (based on performance data).

Elementary, middle, high schools: HCZ has two Promise Academy charter schools that cover all ages in the same building.

Elementary after-school: The Peacemakers program.

Middle school after-school: A Cut Above program that supports the Peacemaker initiative working with students on academic, job readiness and leadership skills to prepare for high school.

High school after-school: The Employment and Technology Center.

College and career: The Center for Higher Education and Career Support offers counseling and other support.

Family, social service and health: The Healthy Harlem program to encourage good food habits, a Family Support Center, a truancy prevention program, a family development program aiming to prevent the need for foster care and mobile teams that respond to crises and other needs.

Academic: There is an Advocacy Case Management program to help students who are not in the Promise academies, but instead in a city school or other school.

Community pride: A resident-driven program to revitalize neighborhoods and the Countee Cullen Community Center at a major housing project, two other community centers and a large sports facility at an old armory for youth and adults to use for free.

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