A five-year, $30 million grant will support local initiatives to:

• Expand early literacy and early science efforts in local child care and pre-K programs;
• Enhance K-12 instruction in these seven schools;
• Empower parents to advocate for their children’s learning; and
• Improve access to education and job training for young adults and all residents in the Promise Neighborhood.

More on Promise Neighborhoods

The 10th Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival will be hosted by People’s Emergency Center (PEC) on Saturday, July 16th from noon to 7pm in Penn Presbyterian Saunders Park Greene, at 39th and Powelton Avenue. This year’s festival will showcase the female artists who have shaped jazz and are solidifying its future. Pianist and composer Sumi Tonooka will headline the event, which is free and open to the public. The free Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival will offer activities for the whole family: a mix of exemplary musicians, a diverse gathering of people, a view of the city and a chance to enjoy a neighborhood that is rich in arts and culture. The event has grown over its 10 years from having a few hundred attendees to more than 3,000. Read the People’s Emergency Center’s press release for more information.

Think Tank 2016 was an event hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity in which students worked in teams to create a presentation about one problem they wish to solve in West Philadelphia—and how. MORE

Reed’s Coffee & Tea House opened four years ago at the corner of Lancaster and 38th. Trolleys roll by every ten minutes, but people come in on foot throughout the day. From what we’ve seen, customers come looking for anything, taste something delicious, and then look to try more. MORE

Over the last 6 months the Promise Zone Small & Emerging Business Working Group has piloted a lending and technical assistance (TA) program targeting business and property owners on Lancaster Avenue and 52nd Street. This has involved close collaboration with many partners, including Community Development Financial Institutions (which provides loans to small businesses), Commercial Corridor Managers, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce.

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AmeriCorps: Promise Corps College and Career Ambassadors

Promise Corps College and Career Ambassadors (CCAs) will be placed in one of four high schools in Philadelphia’s Promise Zone. The high schools are West Philadelphia, Overbrook, High School of the Future, and Parkway West.CCAs will work with high school students and families to ensure that they graduate from high school with strong skill sets, and develop awareness of paths and challenges related to postsecondary opportunities, while working with students to help them develop long-term plans leading to postsecondary entry. CCAs will work with school teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors to identify and recruit students who need additional support. MORE

Lucia Esther and Chuck Bode began their RCO with just two or three people attending. Now, one hundred and twenty five people are members of the RCO and up to forty people regularly attend the monthly meetings. Lucia is involved in her community in other ways; she currently sits on the advisory committee for the police station, the 30th Street Planning group, and the University City high school site, to name a few.

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According to a recent study published by the Journal of Community Health, 70% of children in urban areas reported experiencing crimes: repeated exposure to violence in a community can disrupt residents’ lives, and pose major challenges to community well-being. MORE

Spring begins in just a few weeks, and several projects in the Promise Zone are already sprouting. The new programs advance important public safety and education priorities for high school aged residents of the Promise Zone. MORE

On February 9th 2016, People’s Emergency Center (PEC) had a ground-breaking event for its newest affordable housing development at 4050 Haverford Avenue. The 4050 Apartments on Haverford will be an affordable live-work space for lower income artists in the community. The new apartment complex will be three stories tall, 24,350 square feet, and fill a vacant lot. The twenty units are a mix of one, two, and three bedrooms units. The target income is 20%, 50% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and the units will have amenities that encourage artmaking: access to natural light, high ceilings and open layouts. 4050 Apartments will also have a community room with space that can be used for workshops and exhibitions. The apartments are near retail shops, restaurants, public transportation, and bike share, and located within an engaged, historic community. MORE