Dr. Carstarphen attended Governor Moore’s recent press conference announcing more than $19 million to communities for the Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households (ENOUGH) initiative. NCEED will continue to partner with two of the ENOUGH grantees, Child First Authority, Inc. (CFA), and
the Y in Central Maryland. The Center’s Family, Student and Teacher Academic Resilience (fSTAR) Pillar, led by Walter Fields and 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 has named its initiative “The Northeast Coalition.”

NCEED provides support and expertise to these two community organizations in the areas of literacy and career and college readiness. NCEED will focus on supporting students and parents in Furman Templeton Academy and Dorothy Height Elementary School on the city’s west side under the CFA grant, and Mergenthaler (MERVO)High School, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, and Montbello Elementary School on the east side under the Y grant.

Year one under both ENOUGH grants has been exercises in community planning and coalition building to develop a Neighborhood Action Plan. 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 and develops 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.

Per CFA, who received $400,000 for continued initiative implementation, “this is a testament to the incredible work we’ve accomplished together in a short period of time and the strong foundation we’re continuing to build as partners in the Upton/Druid Heights/Central West children’s zone. ”