Montgomery joins Mayor's Neighborhood Academy with Harlem Children's Zone to expand cradle-to-career services

Mayor Steven L. Reed said Montgomery will participate in the Mayor's Neighborhood Academy in partnership with the Harlem Children's Zone to pilot a cradle-to-career approach to student and family supports.

Reed described the Harlem Children's Zone model—longer school days, Saturday activities, adult education, workforce development and wraparound services such as healthcare, food and mental-health supports—as a comprehensive blueprint the city plans to adapt. He said the program’s founder, Geoffrey Canada, and his team have decades of experience deploying cradle-to-career strategies in other cities and that Montgomery leaders hope to adopt proven practices locally.

Why it matters: Reed framed the partnership as a way to address barriers students face outside the classroom by coordinating education, after-school programming, family support and workforce pathways. He said the approach is intended to improve educational outcomes and long-term economic opportunity.

Reed said the city will look to expand school-day and weekend programming, connect students to health and mental-health services, and provide family and adult education as part of the effort. He described the selection as an opportunity for Montgomery to “adopt best practices and to utilize [the Harlem Children's Zone's] blueprint” to improve outcomes for children and families.

Ending: Reed said the city is excited to collaborate with national partners and that officials will share more details as implementation plans are developed; he did not announce specific neighborhoods, budgets or start dates on the podcast.