HOUSTON—A program that uses millions of people’s tax dollars to help inner-city kids attend college could make its way to Houston.
Promise Neighborhoods, as the federal government have called them, originated in New York.
Childcare provider Narva Wilson spends a lot of her day chasing 3-year-old children.
"They come here every day and we’re like their second home," said Wilson.
Most of the kids at the child care center come from lower-income neighborhoods and usually do not have a clear path to success.
Do not tell that to Carol Shattuck, who works for the Collaborative For Children, a company that specializes in early childcare and education in the Houston area.
"They’ll have every opportunity to select the career of their choice," she said.
Last year, "60 Minutes" reported on the Promise Neighborhood in Harlem. Many educators are calling it revolutionary.
Since it’s closed the gap between inner-city kids and their suburban peers, the Obama Administration hopes to replicate the program with the help of federal stimulus grants.
The Collaborative For Children is one of six groups in the Houston area applying for the money, and one of more than 300 nationwide. While they all share the same goal of getting kids to college, there are different schools of thought on how to get there.
"I think one of the things that’s a challenge in Harlem Children’s Zone is the capacity is very limited," said Shatuck.
That’s why the Collaborative For Children is not just working with charter schools, but also with HISD.The group estimates 20,000 children would benefit if the application is approved next month.
Even without the funding, Narva Wilson has already started training for the program.
"Really, I think they all need the same thing," she said. "They need attention."
She says that is a promise worth keeping.
