FIVE YEAR REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY SPRING 2012 A MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS Dear Friends and Supporters, On behalf of the New Town Success Zone leadership team, we neighbors and with local law enforcement. Recent statistics are are proud to present this five-year report to the community and showing reduced crime rates, and a 50% decrease in arrests the Zone’s many friends and supporters. We feel privileged to since the Zone was created. have participated in this landmark effort to empower families in one of Jacksonville’s most at-risk communities, and we are One of the most inspiring chapters of the New Town story is heartened to see what a difference is being made with the about community partnerships. Numerous organizations have engagement of the community and the help of so many of you. worked to make a difference for families in the neighborhood, with inspiring results. The increase in after-school programs While there have been many challenges since the inception of provided through partners such as Boys & Girls Clubs — and the the program, including a severe recession and its aftershocks, impending addition of a state-of-the-art park and playground, we have a lot to be proud of! Success Park – have given residents peace of mind by providing safe places for their children to grow, learn and play FCAT scores at the Zone’s elementary school, S.P. Livingston even when they’re not in school. These are just a few instances Elementary, have risen dramatically; the school now boasts a B of the generous outpouring of support and participation from grade — up from an F in the 2008-09 school year. In addition, organizations throughout the community. 92 percent of students have been promoted since NTSZ’s inception, and absentee rates have dropped significantly. We are proud of how far the Zone has come in the last five Perhaps most importantly, the level of parental involvement in years, but there is still plenty of work to do. With the assistance the New Town schools continues to increase. of our generous partners and supporters as well as an engaged community, we are confident we can get the job done. That is crucial, because one of the most important determiners of a child’s future success is the involvement of their parents. That’s why the NTSZ works not just to support kids in the Zone, Sincerely, but also to provide parents with information and skills that will help them better provide for their families and nurture their Nathaniel Glover Pamela Y. Paul children’s success. As residents have taken a more active role in the community, the crime rate in the Zone has dropped and productive, collaborative relationships have been formed between 1 WHAT IS NEW TOWN SUCCESS ZONE? New Town Success Zone (NTSZ) is a partnership of public and NTSZ’s mission is to provide a place-based continuum of services private organizations that is developing a continuum of services from prenatal and well-baby care to college or post secondary to children and their families living in Jacksonville’s New Town training for children and their families living in the neighborhood. neighborhood. Through a variety of efforts — and in collaboration The shared vision of the Zone’s leadership – neighborhood with parents, grandparents and other caregivers — the partnership residents, parents and teachers, working committee members, seeks to provide healthy physical, mental and psychological partners and the City of Jacksonville – is as follows: development, enhance academic success and increase the overall well-being of the neighborhood’s children. Youth graduate Families and Children Children from high school and neighborhoods support are healthy and youth successfully complete the healthy development, and prepared are healthy post secondary education, academic success and to enter and succeed technical training social well-being kindergarten in school or military service of their children Myrtle Ave N Kings Rd 5,000 residents; 31% are children Beaver St W Map of New Town Success Zone Area 1 HOW IT ALL BEGAN… In April 2007, former Jacksonville mayor John Peyton, Paul, well-known community activist and philanthropist, agreed members of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission and other to serve as co-chairs of the leadership group. community leaders traveled to New York to learn more about the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). A “multi-year comprehensive From the very beginning, input from residents has been community building initiative,” the HCZ Project helps create essential in determining what programs and services are most a safe learning environment for youth residing in a 100-block beneficial to families. Monthly community meetings, door to area of Central Harlem. The Project’s Complementary door meetings and questionnaires have helped to create a real Learning System is designed to support families and enhance partnership between NTSZ partners and the people they serve. children’s intellectual, emotional, and physical growth from the time they are conceived until they complete college and/or Five years after the initial “what-if?” trip to New York and the enter the workforce. Harlem Children’s Zone, New Town Success Zone is thriving. The organization, now headquartered at Edward Waters Using information gathered about the HCZ Project, the City of College, is lean and non-bureaucratic; its budget consists of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Children’s Commission began only one salary. working to create a similar program locally. It was clear that the $60-plus million-a-year program couldn’t be replicated exactly The partners are creating synergy with one another on in a municipality already struggling with budget challenges. behalf of the neighborhood. Crime is down, academic However, local advocates envisioned using all available achievement is up, and residents are becoming more engaged resources from community organizations to form a partnership every month. that could be replicated in Jacksonville. Their goal was to support local families in their efforts to raise healthy, safe, educated children who would become contributing members of the community. In spite of challenges — including the fallout from a global recession — the project moved forward and the steering committee considered various neighborhoods on which to focus their effort and attention. In February 2008, the New Town/Grand Park area was selected as the location for what would become the New Town Success Zone (NTSZ). Nat Glover, president of Edward Waters College and former sheriff of Duval County, and Pam 2 3 Stories of New Town THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA From the beginning, recalls Linda Lanier, former executive With leadership from former Duval County sheriff Nat Glover, director of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, the New now president of Edward Waters College, NTSZ got back on Town Success Zone seemed destined to happen. For starters, track. “Nat made our group realize that all of the things they the idea seems to have occurred to a number of people at once. were doing in Harlem, we already had in Jacksonville,” she “I’m not sure exactly who first suggested we go to New York, recalls. “So our challenge wasn’t really what to do, it was how but before we knew it, a whole group of us were on a plane,” to put it together. And he basically went around the room of she said. nonprofit leaders...He’d point to someone and say ‘Well, you may not have any new money, but you have money, and you’re The makeup of the delegation from Jacksonville was another already doing this work. So why don’t we just figure out how good sign. “This was a group of influential people who took time to coordinate all of it in one neighborhood?’ That’s been the from very busy schedules and went to New York on behalf of theme of the work ever since!” our community at their own expense,” she enthused. “There was such energy and interest around the whole thing!” After five-plus years, Lanier still believes the project was meant to be. “From the beginning,” she concluded, “it far exceeded After a day of visiting the HCZ and hearing from its inspirational my expectations; and it continues to do so. Every time I go to leader, Jeffrey Canada, the group was even more enthusiastic a neighborhood meeting I can’t believe what I hear! And the about the project, but less so about its chances of being best part is that it is a true community partnership that has replicated in Florida. Lacking the resources of the many well- created a replicable model. That is an inspiration to me and I’m endowed foundations headquartered in New York — and with so honored to have been a part of this effort. ” a city government already struggling to fund its priorities — it was clear that Jacksonville couldn’t literally follow the $60-plus- million-a-year Harlem model. Nonetheless, hopes were high Linda Lanier, Community Volunteer that something could be done. Then came the Great Recession. “By the time we were actively planning,” Lanier remembers, “it wasn’t just budget season, but the economy was beginning to come down around our ears. It seemed like the project might be finished before it got started.” 3 GETTING OFF THE GROUND After visiting the Harlem Children’s Zone, the Duval County The steering committee also sponsored a formal naming contest, working group spent a great deal of time in planning, discussion engaging students from S.P. Livingston, Butler and Grand Park and study – including conducting a needs assessment for Center. The winning designation — New Town Success Zone eight candidate neighborhoods. Following tours, neighborhood — reflected the committee’s intention to begin the work in the meetings and review of the data collected, the New Town/ eastern portion of the neighborhood.