Montgomery mayor says city is exploring cradle-to-career partnerships with Harlem Children’s Zone

Mayor Steven L. Reed said Montgomery has engaged with the Harlem Children’s Zone and invited its founder, Jeffery Canada, to discuss “cradle-to-career” programs aimed at improving educational and economic outcomes for children.

“Man, just a fantastic opportunity for us to team up with Jeff Canada and his team for cradle to career initiatives,” Reed said. He described the Harlem Children’s Zone as a “world class brand” with research, data and support systems that could help Montgomery expand educational opportunity.

Reed said the city has been partnering with local organizations such as Valley Cross Academy and Alabama State University to create early childhood and K–12 pathways, and he said the mayor’s office participated in a mayor’s neighborhood academy event in Harlem. “We were invited to be a part of the mayor's neighborhood academy in Harlem,” Reed said.

Reed framed the partnership as part of a broader effort to keep residents in Montgomery by improving education and local economic opportunity: “We want to…get to a point where it's a lot easier for people to see themselves staying in Montgomery.”

The mayor named Anthony and Fred Brock in connection with Valley Cross Academy but did not provide contractual terms, program budgets, or an implementation timetable on the podcast. He said the city is pursuing “global partners” to accelerate local progress but did not list specific commitments or funding sources during the interview.