Whatever it Takes: Creating Paths Out of Poverty for Children

Catalog description

This course will examine current community based strategies for providing young people living in high poverty, multiple needs, urban areas with the educational, social and economic support they need for a stronger future. The course will begin with a review of the debated root causes of poverty in the United States and an exploration of the short and long term effects of poverty on children. Students will understand how poverty differentially affects different populations and geographic areas across the United States and globally. Special attention will be given to the complexity of urban poverty issues and the corresponding need for holistic Interventions. The course will further explore the concepts and strategies underlying innovative community-based initiatives being implemented across the country including the theories, programming content, inclusion criteria and outcomes of these efforts. Students will have to critically think through the cost/benefits of this programming considering economic, political and social justice issues. Special attention will be given to the Harlem Children Zone's (HCZ) model. The HCZ has achieved successes in boosting college attendance and closing the racial and socioeconomic achievement gap among youth in a high-poverty target area in New York City. The HCZ is the model for the Obama Administration's Promise Neighborhoods Initiative to support comprehensive neighborhood development programs for children and youth. It includes efforts for social, educational and medical support designed sequentially to keep up with youth's developmental needs. Students will critically analyze this model and its applicability across other geographic areas and populations. Students will also learn from local best practice Initiatives in education attempting to provide a path out of poverty for Cleveland's children through site visits at local schools. This will include experiential opportunities for firsthand contact with program staff and youth.