The Harlem Children's Zone Project continues to expand its services for children and families. SMART is now available at selected public schools and HCZ program sites and we continue to collaborate on the Asthma Initiative.

Young Harlem Investors Program

HCZ’s Young Harlem Investors Program encourages poor working families to begin saving for their children’s college education while they are still in pre-school. HCZ runs the program in partnership with the SEED (Saving for Entrepreneurship, Education, and Downpayment) program of the not-for-profit CFED and Carver Bank. HCZ’s program is open to 75 children and is currently at capacity. For each participating child, the family creates a savings account for entrepreneurship, home ownership or their child’s college education. HCZ and CFED match the family’s contributions and contribute when the families reach certain milestones. Additionally, parents participate in financial-education workshops. After four years, the accounts can be turned into 529 college savings accounts.

Read more about the Young Harlem Investors Program here.

To see New York Daily News story on HCZ’s SEED program, click here.

SMART
(Shaping Minds Around Reading and Technology)

SMART uses trained staff and literacy software programs to offer students individualized comprehensive support during in school and after school hours reinforcing the school day learning. While we recognize that computers will never replace good teaching & a well-rounded curriculum, Harlem Children's Zone uses the most effective technology available to support children in mastering the complexities of reading fundamentals

Asthma Initiative

Harlem Hospital's Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University's Harlem Health Promotion Center, Touchpoints, New York City Department of Health, and the Harlem Children's Zone have joined to launch the Harlem Children's Zone Asthma Initiative. HCZ Project programs such as Peacemakers, Harlem Gems and Baby College, are working with Harlem Hospital staff throughout the year to screen all Harlem Children's Zone Project children between the ages of 0-12 for asthma.

Initial screening results indicate that almost one-third of children in the HCZ Project have asthma. In contrast, the national rate is about 5-7 percent.

To address this health crisis among children, the HCZ Asthma Initiative has designed a holistic response. Community workers from Harlem Hospital have begun comprehensive home visits to conduct individual assessments and provide services to families with asthma. The home visit will include an assessment of the adequacy of existing primary care and asthma medication (in collaboration with clinical staff), and provision of a full range of environmental, social, educational and medical interventions when indicated. The HCZ Asthma Initiative seeks to improve day-to-day health, reduce school absenteeism, Emergency Room visits and asthma related hospitalizations. [For an in-depth look at this program, click here]