Building on his experience leading the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City and his familiarity with the Harlem Children’s Zone, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has launched an ambitious plan to end childhood poverty in our state.
“The ENOUGH Act uses place-based interventions in communities with disproportionately high numbers of children living in poverty… Communities that demonstrate the ability to assess existing pathways to success, coordinate across sectors, and address challenges strategically can apply for grant funding of up to $10 million per year.” The program is a comprehensive, community-focused initiative spanning 12 Maryland counties, including rural, suburban, and urban areas. The program supports 27 community organizations in a state where 150,000 children live in poverty. The State of Maryland and philanthropic and private partners made an initial commitment of $100 million toward this effort.
“ENOUGH will address gaps in existing funding streams to support children and families—from early child care and education to affordable housing, public safety, and support for civic infrastructure. ENOUGH partnerships must include at least one community-based non-profit, one local government entity, and one local public school. Partnerships may also include unions or worker organizations; institutions like local health care organizations; institutions of higher education; small businesses; local law enforcement; or faith-based organizations” (https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press).
The National Center for Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED) at Morgan State University is partnering with two of the ENOUGH grantees, Child First Authority, Inc. (CFA), and the Y in Central Maryland. NCEED’s Family, Student, and Teacher Academic Resilience (fSTAR) Pillar, with support from center scholars, coordinates NCEED’s participation.
The CFA grant covers the west Baltimore communities of Penn-North, Druid Heights, and Upton, while the YMCA grant covers the east Baltimore communities of Waverly and Coldstream Montebello. The YMCA ENOUGH initiative, named “The Northeast Coalition,” is supported by NCEED in the areas of literacy and career and college readiness. NCEED will support students and parents in the Furman Templeton Academy and Dorothy Height Elementary School under the CFA grant, and Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School (MERVO), Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, and Montbello Elementary School under the Y grant.
NCEED has preexisting relationships with schools in the target communities. Students from Furman Templeton Academy and Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys have visited the Morgan State campus, and the fSTAR Pillar lead, Walter Fields, has met with students and parents at both schools. An NCEED scholar, Dr. Leslie Anderson, Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Science, is collaborating on a project at Mervo, which participated in the first Baltimore Schools in the Courts Day. Courts Day is an initiative of the Maryland District Court aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism, of which NCEED is a partner. The first NCEED community conversation took place at Montebello Elementary School, focusing on school leadership.
Like Harlem’s Children Zone, the theory behind the ENOUGH program is that by mobilizing community assets and creating partnerships focused on a select geographic area, the effort can yield an improved quality of life (i.e., reduced poverty) and improved student outcomes (i.e., college and career readiness). Governor Moore acknowledges that this is a long-term strategy and the ENOUGH program is just an initial investment.
Year one under both ENOUGH grants has been focused on community planning and coalition building to develop Neighborhood Action Plans. Community partners and parents have met to discuss ways to reduce poverty in the target neighborhoods. The William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone has supported partners throughout the planning process. The institute helps neighborhoods build high-impact cradle-to-career models to open pathways to social and economic mobility.
The second round of funding for Child First Authority and the Y in Central Maryland will facilitate the implementation of the Neighborhood Action Plans developed by each coalition. NCEED will continue its role under both ENOUGH grants and bring to bear the expertise of its scholars on the schools within the target neighborhoods.
