Drexel won a multi-million, multi-year Promise Neighborhoods Program Implementation Grant that will benefit West Philadelphia residents and seven public schools near Drexel’s campus.
Philadelphia is only one of six awardees to receive the U.S. Department of Education grant, which provides up to $30 million over five years per locality. In year one, Philadelphia will receive $6 million for a “cradle-to-career” effort, which includes initiatives that expand early literacy and early science efforts in local child care and pre-K programs; enhance K-12 instruction; empower parents to advocate for their children’s learning; and improve access to education and job training for residents of a neighborhood zone that stretches from the Schuylkill River to 48th Street, and from Girard Avenue to Sansom Street.
Drexel was the lead applicant of the grant, partnering with the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia and several other area groups and nonprofits. As the lead agency, Drexel will help coordinate the initiative and share the expertise of its School of Education, Dornsife School of Public Health and Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships.