The Associated Press
Residents of the Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood in Washington, D.C., have long heard promises about a better life to come.
All promises unfulfilled.
Then, the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative put down a stake with a new promise: to tackle generational poverty with a fresh approach.
With a $28 million Education Department Promised Neighborhood grant and support from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, the initiative offers services to both parents and children. It stems from research that shows that as a parent’s level of education improves, so does a child’s prospects.
Modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York, “promised neighborhoods” exist in more than 20 states.
In Kenilworth-Parkside, helping children get a good education is a primary focus, but it’s the adults they must first engage. Many are skeptical.
Some photos from the neighborhood:
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