Age range

Website: www.hcz.org

Mission/Goals: To improve the lives of poor children in America's most devastated communities; to bring about a transformation in Central Harlem, where poverty and unemployment are many times higher than national averages, education and student achievement fall well below U.S. and New York City levels, and the rate of foster care placement is among the highest in the state.

Source: www.hcz.org

Notes: There are currently 15 different programs; programs for youth focus on academics, technology, employment, family support, physical health, community leadership, etc. The Harlem Children's Zone Project is a large-scale program for youth/ families in a large section of Harlem. It focuses on early intervention, community support, and evaluation.

Type of Evaluation: Pre/Post Test assessment.

Note: Evaluation of The Renaissance University for Community Education (TRUCE), a comprehensive youth development program run by HCZ. The evaluation included baseline to follow-up data from the 2002-03 program year.

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the academic progress, health and emotional behaviors, and life skills acquired by TRUCE participants.

Impact/Outcome Findings: Almost all TRUCE participants are currently enrolled in school and plan to attend college. Most participants have already been on a college visit. Many participants have a place to go for health care and most have had a complete physical in the past year. A majority reported that they have not smoked cigarettes, or consumed alcohol, marijuana or cocaine in the last month. Most participants had never had sexual intercourse and of those that did, 90% used a contraceptive method to prevent STDs and 95% used a method to prevent pregnancy.