Promise Neighborhoods Case Studies (Issue Brief)

Promise Neighborhoods seek to offset the effects of growing up in poverty by building a comprehensive continuum of “cradle-to-career” supports that enable children to reach their potential. Since 2010, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded three rounds of Promise Neighborhoods grants totaling nearly $100 million to nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and American Indian tribes, including 46 planning grants and 12 implementation grants to 48 lead agencies in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Promise Neighborhoods are in the early implementation stage of a long-term endeavor to improve the educational outcomes of the communities they serve. Findings from case studies conducted of five sites revealed how the grantees designed and implemented their programs, the services they chose to offer, and the early successes and challenges they had in improving the lives of children in their community.