The purpose of the South Ward Promise Neighborhood initiative is to improve the lives of children and families living in the South Ward neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, by improving their access to high-quality education and systems of care. The initiative is driven by a cradle-to-career pipeline, focusing first on high-quality early childhood services that set students up for success later in life and ultimately helps them transition into college or a career. Toward this end, South Ward Children’s Alliance has developed a continuum of solutions to support children and families in the South Ward. In 2018, Child Trends was contracted by the South Ward Children’s Alliance to serve as the external evaluator for this initiative. As with many other place-based initiatives, the South Ward Promise Neighborhood initiative involves many components to address the complex needs of residents in the South Ward.

Funder

U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods Initiative

Partner

BRICK Education Network

Resources

South Ward Promise Neighborhood

Staff

Principal Investigators:  Chrishana Lloyd and Sara Shaw

Senior Advisor: Becky Fauth

Project Director: Kate Steber

Analysts: Alex DeMand, Yuko Ekyalongo, Fadumo Abdi, and Jessica Warren

Research Assistant: Jenna Castillo, Jessica Conway, and Astha Patel