When it comes to fighting poverty, mayors play a pivotal role. They shape policies, set budgets, and oversee essential city services. Beyond these responsibilities, they can serve as catalysts for cross-sector collaboration — uniting schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations to tackle pressing challenges. By excelling in both governance and partnership-building, mayors can advance a critical goal: putting children and families on a path to social and economic mobility.
To support the nation’s mayors in this critical work, William Julius Wilson Institute (WJWI) at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) launched Mayors’ Neighborhood Academy: One Million Points of Opportunity. Created in partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC), this innovative fellowship brings together 15 mayors and senior city officials from across the U.S., collectively representing 3.5 million Americans and over 700,000 youth.
As part of the Academy, mayors learn how to adapt and apply elements of HCZ’s nationally recognized, comprehensive, cradle-to-career model in their cities.
“This Academy is part of a movement to fundamentally change outcomes for children and families in this country,” said Geoffrey Canada, Founder and President of HCZ and Founder of WJWI. “By equipping mayors with the tools to build sustainable, community-driven solutions, we’re ensuring that every child — regardless of ZIP code — has a chance to succeed.”
Keep reading to discover how the Mayors’ Neighborhood Academy is setting the stage for lasting community transformation in cities across the nation.
A Cohort of Mayors Committed to Change
The Academy’s inaugural cohort is comprised of mayors from diverse urban and suburban communities:
Setting the Foundation for National Impact
WJWI kicked off the Academy with a two-day immersive experience at HCZ. Mayors toured key HCZ sites, including HCZ Promise Academy I Charter School, Harlem Gems Preschool, and The HCZ Armory. The leaders also participated in a keynote session on HCZ’s holistic approach to supporting youth from early childhood through post-secondary education and beyond. They heard directly from Mr. Canada and HCZ CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse on HCZ’s mission, work, and impact.
“At HCZ, we know that transforming communities starts with investing in young people at every stage of their journey,” said Mr. Owusu-Kesse. “Through the Academy, we’re sharing what works so city leaders can build systems of support that empower communities, drive economic mobility, and create sustainable change.”
Equipping Mayors with Strategies for Lasting Change
On day two of their visit, mayors engaged with national, regional, and neighborhood-based leaders. In a series of panel discussions, these leaders shared best practices for addressing community violence, leveraging the role of mayors as conveners and catalysts for systems change, and securing diverse funding streams to sustain long-term impact.
The sessions reinforced the importance of a multi-faceted, strategic approach to locally led partnerships, equipping mayors with deeper insights that they can tailor to their cities’ needs.
“America’s local leaders can have an enormous impact on young people’s futures by supporting cradle-to-career systems in their communities,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of NLC. “Partnerships like this one with HCZ give our members a tangible experience of just how transformative these programs can be for our cities, towns, and villages.”
Building Place-Based Leadership at Summer Institute and Power of Place
The Academy will build on the initial visit at HCZ with WJWI’s annual convenings. At these events, mayors will engage in public sector-specific tracks and programming designed to strengthen the leadership of locally led partnerships. The events include:
- Summer Institute: Transforming Place Through Neighborhood Leadership, a three-day event hosted by WJWI and The EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
- Power of Place, WJWI’s national convening that brings together hundreds of cross-sector leaders, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to driving social and economic mobility, at scale, for the most vulnerable children and families in our country.
A Movement for One Million Young People
The Mayors’ Neighborhood Academy is more than a fellowship that will impact local communities — it’s a catalyst for systems-level change. By equipping mayors with the knowledge, tools, and technical support to transform their cities, the Academy is fueling a national movement to drive lasting impact for children and families.
At the heart of this movement is WJWI’s north star: putting one million young people on the path to social and economic mobility.
“Last year, we convened 22 superintendents representing 1.4 million students,” said Christian Rhodes, Deputy Executive Director of WJWI. “This year, 15 mayors — serving more than twice as many residents — joined the movement. We are scaling this work nationally, ensuring that more communities build the partnerships needed to create real change. That’s how we get to one million young people on the path to mobility.”