A quarterly greeting and update from your U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods Team:
Welcome to the Summer 2021 Neighborhood Compass! We hope you are enjoying your summer and staying cool. We are excited to announce that the Promise Neighborhoods National Network Conference will be held virtually on December 8–10, 2021.
|
|
|
|
Pictured: U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods program team, including (left to right) Elson Nash, Adrienne Hawkins, and Richard Kress.
|
|
|
Promise Neighborhoods grantees were at the front lines of pandemic relief efforts in 2020. The public health crisis forced grantees to develop new strategies for supporting their communities, introduced new partners, and necessitated new sources of information. This newsletter highlights some of the innovations that grantees implemented in 2020 and explores how these changes will affect their work in the future.
|
|
Berea College Perry Promise Neighborhood—Expanding digital access
Many Promise Neighborhoods implement solutions to improve digital access, setting goals to increase access in the community to 21st-century learning tools at school and at home. This year, digital access was more important than ever. Berea College Perry Promise Neighborhood (Perry) created a digital coaching team composed of teachers who became the backbone of support for their colleagues and other school-based staff as their work transitioned to a virtual format. The digital coaches created a website of resources and provided professional development related to virtual engagement and assessment. Perry expects hybrid learning to continue in a more limited format in the future during bouts of severe weather or to support students on long-term medical release, and digital resources will continue to be utilized throughout the year. The digital coaching team has become a part of the school culture and will continue helping teachers navigate classroom technology after the pandemic.
|
|
Berea College Knox Promise Neighborhood—Virtual family engagement
Digital access was important for grantees’ work beyond the classroom. Berea College Knox Promise Neighborhood (BCKPN) elevated family engagement as an unexpected bright spot amidst the challenges of the last year, as they developed new virtual supports and family engagement activities and furthered their reach to previously unengaged families. Because of these efforts, BCKPN saw higher family participation during the pandemic than at any time in the pre-COVID period. Within weeks of pausing in-person learning in March 2020, BCKPN and partners developed new modes of communication and connection that they plan to continue in the post-COVID-19 era.
One example of virtual family engagement was Breakout Home, in which Knox County families worked together against the clock for 60 minutes to crack a series of puzzles related to quantitative and abstract reasoning. The game promoted communication and teamwork, encouraging all family members to utilize their unique strengths. As one family said, “Breakout Home was just what we needed. A fun, thought-provoking family activity to elicit problem-solving, bonding, and laughter. We learned that each family member has unique skills that combined made it possible for us to ‘Break Out.’ Just like in real life, we all have to work together as a family.”
|
|
|
Deer Creek Promise Community—Summer enrichment
Summer camps can introduce new ways of learning that may not be feasible during the school year and help support working parents year-round. During the pandemic, many camps around the country were canceled, leaving children and their parents to balance learning and work. To help address limited summer programming in the community, Deer Creek Promise Community (DCPC) created a new coding camp for high schoolers led by two college student interns from the University of Mississippi. In addition to learning computer science topics such as programming and algorithm design, students attending this in-person camp participated in variety of wellness and enrichment activities with DCPC partners and learned about college from the student interns. All students completed the six-week program and were awarded a new Chromebook, and participant surveys showed a large increase in computer science knowledge. Deer Creek will host the camp again this summer and hopes to continue to bring awareness and interest to a valuable career skill.
|
|
South Ward Promise Neighborhood—Promoting the safety of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color
The summer of 2020 saw an increased focus on ongoing issues related to racial equity in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the protests for racial justice that ensued. Aware of the impact these events had on students’ mental health and sense of safety, South Ward Promise Neighborhood (SWPN) held a series of conversations on Facebook Live and incorporated questions about experiences with racial discrimination in their neighborhood survey. They also worked with Imagine, a center for coping with loss, to provide support to families experiencing trauma and grief. One of SWPN’s Facebook Live events was “A Healing Conversation about Community Policing,” which was hosted by SWPN’s partner Newark Community Street Team and involved a facilitated conversation between community members, activists, and law enforcement, reaching 933 viewers. SWPN plans to continue working with the Newark Community Street Team on policing-related issues, especially as students return to in-person learning.
|
|
Camden Promise Neighborhood—Assessing and addressing food needs
Promise Neighborhoods grantees support children and families in communities where economic instability is common and where the pandemic wrecked the jobs, support networks, and transportation options that provide access to food. At the same time, school closings left many children without school-sponsored meals. As a result, food insecurity spiked.
In response to growing need, Camden Promise Neighborhood increased support of food distributions with partners across the community. Weekly food distribution was coordinated with help from the Food Bank of South Jersey and KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy whereby families received prepackaged food boxes including meat, dairy, produce, and other shelf-stable products. Hope Mobile, a monthly food access initiative, is a community-led resource also in partnership with the Food Bank of South Jersey. This walk-up food access distribution format was reorganized to accommodate social distancing for Camden residents and supported 26% more families than in the prior year. Additionally, Camden Promise Neighborhood staff created comprehensive Food Resource Maps in 2019 to support families in accessing food resources in the city in an effort to create awareness and aid in supplementing items through various organizations and food programs. During the pandemic, the Food Access VISTA updated the maps regularly and distributed them to partners throughout the footprint and Camden city.
|
|
|
Hayward Promise Neighborhood—Philanthropic funding intermediary
Trusted, knowledgeable, local intermediaries are critical for ensuring that response and recovery resources reach those who need them. South Hayward Promise Neighborhood’s (SHPN) partners connected emergency philanthropic dollars to SHPN families to stabilize their economic security. These dollars prioritized families who were excluded from other federal and state relief. For example, La Familia Counseling Services administered the Tides Foundation’s California Immigration Resilience Fund by working one-on-one with undocumented families facing extreme financial hardship due to COVID-19. The City of Hayward received funding from the Stupski Foundation and East Bay Community Energy to establish the Hayward Community Relief Fund that disbursed $400,000 in aid over the past year. SHPN partners supported the City of Hayward and La Familia Counseling Services staff to connect families to housing and cash assistance at the neighborhood level. Overall, 138 households within the SHPN footprint were able to access $500 grants for a total of $69,000.
|
|
Mission Promise Neighborhood—Strengthening relationships and data access
For several grantees, increased communication with partners and schools was critical to supporting communities during the pandemic. In 2020, Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN) was involved in convenings to strategize about COVID-19 responses and used the opportunity to form key partnerships that improved their data access. By working closely with San Francisco Unified School District’s counseling department, and the Educational Results Partnership, MPN’s Post-Secondary Action Team has new access to college enrollment data that had been historically difficult to obtain. These new data and partnerships are helping MPN develop long-term strategies and targeted supports for high school graduates as they transition into college, particularly students of color who are more likely to be first generation, low income, and English-language learners. MPN plans to continue this partnership through the Bridge to Success Persistence Workgroup, which aims to use data about college access issues to foster more successful first-year experiences for incoming City College of San Francisco students.
|
|
The future of virtual programming
These innovations represent just a few of the ways that Promise Neighborhoods pivoted to support their communities during the pandemic. Discussions with some of the grantees highlighted here suggest that many of these adaptations—and virtual programming more broadly—are here to stay. Virtual offerings brought some grantees in contact with new families, increased participation rates in certain programs, and allowed grantees to be more available to community members with time or transportation constraints preventing them from attending in-person programming. Most school districts are anticipating primarily in-person education this fall, but virtual resources will continue to support students, teachers, and families.
While grantees made impressive inroads in removing barriers to virtual programming, fast internet access and quiet places to work at home are still a challenge for many families. One grantee noted that the virtual platform works well for adults, while K–12 students benefit more from in-person activities. Grantees and their partners will continue to bring variety and flexibility to their work throughout the reopening process and beyond. The innovation by grantees to create solutions during a challenging year is inspiring and will continue to support grantees and their communities following the pandemic.
|
|
Highlighting Promise Neighborhoods making the news
Buffalo Promise Neighborhood (FY 2011 grantee) COVID-19 virtual panel discussion. Along with the Westminster Community Charter School, Buffalo Promise Neighborhood hosted a virtual panel discussion on March 2 informing the local community about the COVID-19 vaccine, dispelling vaccine myths, and addressing questions and concerns from local residents. “More than ever, it is important that we help educate our community on how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” said Pam Hokanson, CEO of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood. “This panel is designed to help the experts directly engage with our community on a number of issues and answer pressing questions and concerns about the vaccine.”
South Ward Promise Neighborhood (FY 2017 grantee) Promise Neighborhood serves as model for family assistance during tough times. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Ward Promise Neighborhood quickly began to address the needs of the local community. From delivering packages and masks to helping students adjust to remote learning, South Ward Promise stepped up in assisting the community in need. Gia Lusk, a family and community specialist at BRICK Education, praises South Ward Promise’s commitment to human connection and details a situation in which South Ward Promise provided direct assistance to a student in a poor learning and living situation during the pandemic. Following the COVID relief efforts by South Ward Promise, Lusk says, “We must treat the whole person by providing human services. What BRICK and South Ward Promise provide is not just a framework for success for the South Ward, it is a model for success that should be replicated in every community.”
 |
|
Opportunities for funding that may support or continue the impact Promise Neighborhoods are making in their communities
The Hearst Foundations is seeking to fund well-established nonprofits that address significant issues that align with their mission areas and focus, such as education, health, and social services. The most common first grant size is $75,000. Applications are accepted year-round.
Walmart Foundation is accepting applications for nonprofit organizations that engage in local community support. Grants range in size from $250 to $5,000. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2021.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry for their grant. The foundation sponsors nonprofit efforts committed to creating equitable communities by alleviating barriers for children, addressing racial inequities, and developing community leaders. The equitable communities grants received so far in 2021 range from $10,000 to $1,500,000. Applications are accepted year-round.
Wells Fargo provides funding to nonprofit efforts that support low- and moderate-income communities and address racial and social inequities, creating a more inclusive community. Applications are accepted year-round.
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation provides funding to community-based programs. The foundation does not specify areas of interest for grant awards, but rather is committed to providing a small amount of funding to create large community impact. Grant awards range in size from $1,000 to $20,000. The next deadline to apply is November 10, 2021.
The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation funds projects that directly serve children from low-income urban communities. The primary areas of focus of this grant are education, health, and family economic stability. The foundation will provide up to 25% of a project’s budget or 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses. Applications are accepted year-round.
|
|
Promise Neighborhoods National Network Conference Save the date! This year’s Promise Neighborhoods National Network Conference will be held virtually on December 8–10, 2021. Please stay tuned for further information.
Collective Impact: Champions for Change 2021 (September 21–October 5; info here). This virtual event by the Collective Impact Forum provides workshops for collective impact leaders, such as improving the use of collective management during the current times of crisis, fostering collaboration across communities, and incorporating equity in community efforts. This experience is targeted at those who are in the beginning stages of their collective impact work.
NACEDA Summit 2021: Networks Advancing an Equitable Recovery (October 18–20; info here). At the NACEDA Summit, community development association professionals from across the country gather to explore key community development topics such as equity, diversity, and inclusion. While the topics for the 2021 event have yet to be released, the 2020 event focused primarily on how low-income communities can survive the pandemic.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi: National Learning Communities Conference 2021 (October 21–23; registration opens July 12). This year’s theme is Cruzando Fronteras, Creating Communities. At this virtual event, participants will engage with other learning community organizations to maintain and develop communities of learners. There will be both workshops and key speakers.
National Summer Learning Conference (November 7–10; register here). This national conference will be hosted in-person at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. and will feature high-profile speakers and other research to support nonprofit program operations and planning.
National Housing Conference: Solutions for Affordable Housing 2021 (November 17, 2021; info here). At this conference, policymakers, and leaders in the administration and Congress will explore the most pressing issues surrounding housing today.
|
|
|
|
