Tulsa’s Promise Neighborhoods: Moving Towards Cradle-to-Career Services

Good news continues to roll in for the Kendall-Whittier and Eugene Field Neighborhoods.  Last December, CAP received a $500,000 Promise Neighborhood planning grant to focus on revitalization in both communities. The inspiration for Promise Neighborhoods is based on the successful model of New York City’s Harlem Children’s Zone, a program featured in Waiting for Superman and various other media. These grants fund programs in high poverty neighborhoods which have a proven capacity to build partnerships and possess the necessary systems to track kids through school, so no one falls through the cracks.

This week, the Tulsa World reported that Tulsa Public Schools pledged to provide longitudinal data to track Kendall-Whittier and Eugene Field students as they progress through school.  This collaboration also includes a pledge to join with other partners in efforts to reform educational strategies. Taken together, this means CAP is in a better position to compete for a $7 million dollar grant to provide cradle-to-career services to children in the Eugene Field and Kendall-Whittier neighborhoods.

Read Full Post »

New Neighborhood Initiative Seeks ‘Catalytic’ Investments

The Washington Times reports on a new program proposed by the Obama administration to transform poor neighborhoods across the nation. The initiative, which builds on the Hope VI model, will concentrate action and funding on urban neighborhoods and coordinate investments ranging from public transit to new housing, early childhood education, farmer’s markets, and school reforms:

The HUD budget request Congress will consider in coming months says the program will seek to transform poor neighborhoods into “functioning, sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods by linking housing improvements with appropriate services, schools, public assets, transportation and access to jobs.” …

“The goal of the program is to demonstrate that concentrated and coordinated neighborhood investments from multiple sources can transform a distressed neighborhood and improve the quality of life of current and future residents,” the administration argues in the budget, also saying the initiative “would challenge public, private and nonprofit partners to identify neighborhood interventions that would have the largest return on federal investments.”

If only there were a neighborhood in Tulsa where something like that is already happening? Oh wait – there is!

Read Full Post »

Improve Your Digs at the Working in Neighborhoods University

The City of Tulsa’s Working in Neighborhoods department (WIN) will be offering free classes on a variety of topics throughout the summer and fall to help improve your neighborhood. All classes will be held at the Central Center at Centennial Park, 1028 E. Sixth Street. Contact the WIN Department liaisons at 596-1292 to RSVP.

May 21, 2009       Thursday 6 to 8 p.m. – Leadership: Communication and Motivation – WIN Liaison

June 04, 2009       Thursday 6 to 8 p.m. – Alert Neighbors Program – Crime Commission

June 11, 2009       Thursday 6 to 8 p.m. – Beautification & Safety of your Neighborhood: Public Works – Graffiti Painting, Curb painting, Clean-up, & Dumpster program, Up with Trees and M.e.t. Recycling

June 20, 2009       Saturday 9 a.m. to Noon – C.A.R.E. (Compassion Around Residents in our Environment) Program – WIN Liaison Church of the Madalene

June 27, 2009       Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Leadership: Dealing with Conflict – Early Settlement Mediation Office and WIN Liaison

July 16, 2009        Thursday 6 to 8 p.m. – Neighborhood Event Planning /Volunteer Neighborhood Code ComplianceProgram – WIN Neighborhood Services Liaison

July 18, 2009        Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. -Where can I get volunteers? -Volunteer Central

July 23, 2009        Thursday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Crime Issues in our Neighborhood: Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) (Tentative)

July 25, 2009        Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Why and how do we set up a 501 C3? – Patience A. Crowder,Director, SEED Law Project at TU College of Law.  Class is community education forum and not legal advice.

Aug. 08, 2009       Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Aging Issues and Assistance – WIN Dept. Area Council on Aging

Sept. 10, 2009      Thursday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. -Storm Water, Runoff, etc. – City of Tulsa

Oct. 17, 2009        Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – HOA Workshop *Tentative *– Community Associations Institute. Seeking Sponsors to defray travel expenses for presenters and HOA’s to defray cost of $50 book. Content Sample: Legal Foundation, Finances, Creation and Enforcement of Restrictions, Risk Control and Insurance

Nov. 19, 2009       Thursday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Questions – City of Tulsa Planning Department

Read Full Post »

Building Our Capacity

I’m listening to an Annie E. Casey webinar about “Resident Engagement in Neighborhood Transformation,” a part of the foundation’s Making Connections initiative.

One point I just heard is that organizations that seek to affect positive community change often see “capacity building” as something they need to help others do (in this case, residents). But in any project that wants to truly engage other partners, whether residents or agencies or what have you, the convening group must build their own capacities as well: a willingness to really listen to others, learn lessons from partners, admit own failures and build on others’ successes (and admit when you’re wrong and they’re right).

Writing that out makes it sound a little obvious, but I think it’s something too easily forgotten in our own work.

Read Full Post »