Place and Promise: Mapping the Impact of the Harlem Children’s Zone

In this episode, we examine an ambitious social experiment: the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a 100+ block area in New York City where an educational philosophy of place-based intervention is being played out. Founded by a charismatic social entrepreneur named Geoffrey Canada, HCZ is a non-profit pursuing an elusive goal: break cycles of intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem with an all-encompassing “cradle to career” support pipeline for students and their families. As Harlem undergoes major economic transformation marked by an influx of global retailers and luxury developments, families within the Zone are wondering: Can neighborhood revitalization coexist with social equity, or does the very success of these interventions accelerate the displacement of the families they were meant to serve?

For a full list of episode sources and resources, visit our website.

Sources & Further Reading:

Harlem Children's Zone

Waiting for "Superman" - Wikipedia

William Julius Wilson - Wikipedia

Harlem Children's Zone - Wikipedia

Resources PNI

20 more communities chosen in 2011 for the Promise Neighborhoods Program, inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone®

HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools

Geoffrey Canada - Wikipedia

Michelle Rhee - Wikipedia

Supporting kids from cradle to career in Central Harlem | Stanford Graduate School of Education

Long-Time Residents Regret Changes in Harlem.

Gentrification – Harlem 350.

Manhattanville Campus Plan

Columbia University proposes the Manhattanville in West Harlem Rezoning and Academic Mixed

The Harlem Children’s Zone: Revitalizing Our Nation Through Education

84M341/HS - 2019-20 School Quality Snapshot - Online Edition - New York City Department of Education

Geoffrey Canada's Biography