Harlem Children's Zone

The Harlem Children's Zone, Inc (HCZ) is world renowned for creating a unique birth-through-college network of programs for 12,500 children and their families.

President Barack Obama launched the Promise Neighborhoods initiative to recreate our holistic approach to break the cycle of generational poverty, and hundreds of other municipalities have visited us to learn how to establish similar programs.

The Promise Academy Charter Schools began in 2004, joining the Harlem Children’s Zone’s network of afterschool, parenting, social-work and community-building programs. The two K-12 public charter schools serve approximately 2,000 children.

Promise Academy offers students a thorough exposure to science, the arts and the humanities. Through a unique partnership with Bard College, high-school students can take pre-college and college-level classes. We also support students’ health, offering daily opportunities for exercise and healthy meals. HCZ offers a high-quality afterschool program, where students receive academic support as well as enriching activities such as chess, dance, photography and sports.