CYPRESS HILLS
PROMISE
NEIGHBORHOOD
FINAL REPORT TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS
January 23rd, 2015
OUR PARTNERS
The following organizations participated in the planning process:
Schools
Nonprofit Organizations
Achievement First Apollo Elementary School
PS 65
PS 89
PS 108
PS 290
PS 345
JHS 302
Liberty Avenue Middle School
Vista Academy
Academy of Innovative Technology
Brooklyn Lab School
Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory School
Multicultural High School
New York City College of Technology
A Castle for Classy Kids Learning Center
Achievement First
ARTs East New York
Bangladeshi American Community Development &
Youth Services
Baybee Lounge
Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center
City University of New York – Early Childhood
Professional Development Institute
City Year New York
Cohen Children’s Hospital
Cypress Hills Advocates for Education
Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation
DIVAS for Social Justice
East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center
East New York MediSys Center
Friends of Crown Heights #15
Future of Tomorrow
George Walker Jr. Community Coalition
HealthCorps
Jamaica Hospital WIC Center
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Marie Durdin Day Care Center
Morningside Center for Teaching
Social Responsibility
New York City Department of Education —
Middle School Quality Initiative
New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center
North Brooklyn YMCA
North Shore-LIJ Student Health Center at Franklin
K. Lane High School Campus
The Partnership for a Healthier Brooklyn at Bedford
Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
Pine Street Day Care
SCO Family of Services
St. Malachy’s Child Care Center
St. Peter’s Preschool
Teach for America
The Afterschool Corporation
United Community Day Care Center
United Way of New York City
Urban Strategies
Local Government Agencies
NYC Department of Education, Community District
#19 Superintendent
NYC Department of Education, Office of Early
Childhood Education
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,
District Public Health Office
NYC Department of Probation
CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE
NEIGHBORHOOD
In January 2013, Cypress Hills Local Development
Corporation (CHLDC) was awarded a US
Department of Education (DOE) Promise
Neighborhoods planning grant. This award
charged CHLDC with leading a community-based
planning process to develop a continuum of
solutions to help young people who live and go
to school in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. The goal is
to reach a set of US DOE-defined education- and
health-related outcomes. (See Appendix A for the
list of indicators, their associated results, and key
Working Groups). From 2013-14, our organization
conducted an extensive needs assessment through
surveying, a community forum, and follow-up focus
groups. At the same time, we convened more
than 50 community partners in regular Working
Groups, focused on four content areas: School
Readiness; K-12 Education and College Access;
Health; and Community Life and Safety, as well as
a Sustainability Working Group, which focused on
fundraising for the Promise Neighborhoods effort.
We also convened a Steering Committee, which
included representatives of all Working Groups,
as well as two CHLDC board members, who are
neighborhood residents.
Our target area for our Promise Neighborhoods
initiative is a sub-section of Cypress Hills, a
low-to-moderate income neighborhood with a
large immigrant population, located in northeast
Brooklyn. Our area boundaries are Jamaica
Avenue to the north, Pitkin Avenue to the south,
Logan Street to the east and Barbey Street to the
west. Although the Promise Neighborhood plan
focuses primarily on this “high need” subarea,
we anticipate that young people beyond these
geographic boundaries will be served by the
programs and projects in our plan.
There are 22,533 residents in the CHPN target
area. 60% are Latino; 27% are black; 4% are Asian;
4% are two or more races; 3% are white; and 2%
are other. 58% of residents speak a language other
than English, 28.7% live below the poverty line, and
90% of adults do not have college degrees.
Overview of the Cypress Hills Promise Neighborhood Zone
FRANKLIN K. LANE
CAMPUS
PS 65
JA M
AIC
V
AA
RIDGEWOOD AV
ATKINS AV
FOUNTAIN AV
NORWOOD AV
LOGAN ST
BERRIMAN ST
SHEPHERD AV
ESSEX ST
LINWOOD ST
ELTON ST
ASHFORD ST
WARWICK ST
BARBEY ST
JEROME ST
SCHENCK AV
CLEVELAND ST
PS 345
LIBERTY AV
MILFORD ST
HALE AV
HIGHLAND PL
JHS 302
AV
MONTAUK AV
ATLANTIC
ESSEX ST
N ST
LINWOOD ST
FULTO
PS 89
ELTON ST
ARLINGTON AV
PS 290
SHEPHERD AV
PS 108
GLENMORE AV
PITKIN AV
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 1
Timeline of the Main Projects and Activities that Occurred During the
Planning Process
SUMMER 2013
The Cypress Hills Promise Neighborhood (CHPN) staff conducted a Community
Needs Assessment to determine what services are available and which are lacking.
Volunteers and youth workers administered 850 surveys to community residents.
ThinkBrooklyn, the project research partner, compiled the results of the survey and
analyzed data to discover the most crucial issues facing the Cypress Hills/East New
York community.
The working groups began a regular meeting schedule. These groups identified
potential “solutions” – programmatic interventions, to address the indicators
identified by the US DOE. Solutions included both existing programming, which in
some cases could be expanded, as well as potential new programs, which were
proven successful in other communities.
FALL 2013
The CHPN staff planned and hosted a Community Forum to present data on
educational, health, and safety outcomes to over 150 local residents. At the Forum,
residents provided feedback on proposed solutions and also provided feedback on
the types of services they would like to see in their community.
Working Groups continued to meet regularly.
WINTER 2014
In coordination with ThinkBrooklyn, the CHPN staff organized seven focus group
meetings for local residents to provide qualitative data in response to the quantitative
information gathered in the survey. At the focus groups, 68 residents shared their
insights on addressing needs and gaps in services. The topics discussed were SocialEmotional Well Being, Youth Safety, Supporting Language Learners, and Supporting
Children Ages 0-5.
Working Groups continued to meet regularly.
SPRING – FALL 2014
The Steering Committee, which met throughout the planning year, narrowed down
the list of solutions.
CHPN staff crafted the final plan, in consultation with partners.
2 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Key Findings: Community
and Youth Survey
The goal of administering the community and
youth survey was to learn about the needs of the
community and determine the specific needs of
sub-populations in the community.
Methodology
Along with the help of volunteers and community
partners, the CHPN team collected over 850
surveys over the summer and early fall of 2013.
The community survey was conducted throughout
the neighborhood and also partner schools.
ThinkBrooklyn designed the survey, and questions
were based on the US DOE’s Government
Performance and Reporting Act (GPRA) measures.
We administered two versions of the survey: one
for adults (ages 20 and above) and one for youth
(ages 13-19). ThinkBrooklyn analyzed the survey
results, based on a smaller sample of those who
completed the demographic information and who
met criteria (adults who had children younger than
24 living in their household).
Key Findings from
Community Surveys
Adult Surveys
Notable Statistics:
ZIP CODE RESIDENCY
11208
68%
11207
29%
LENGTH IN NEIGHBORHOOD
>10 years
51%
<2 years
7%
RESPONDENTS
Female
82%
Male
18%
18-24
14%
25-34
41%
35-44
28%
Overview of Results
45+
17%
Analyzing Community Surveys
Latino
52%
Black/African
American
36%
Asian
9%
• ThinkBrooklyn provided two Excel workbooks in
December 2013 and January 2014 along with two
data dictionaries that provided the description of
each data variable.
• Because of limited time, a partial Segmentation
Analysis was conducted in order to determine
the demographics of the appropriate
respondents (e.g., parents / guardians of children
24 years old or younger) and the responses to
the questions that would inform the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Indicators.
• The datasets were assessed to identify missing
or outliers of data for the most salient data
variables. The datasets are available upon
request:]
LATINO BREAKDOWN
Dominican
44%
Puerto Rican
40%
Mexican
3%
FAMILY COMPOSITION
Parents
97%
Guardians
4%
Children in 0-5
46%
Children in K-8
60%
Children in 9=12
19%
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 3
EDUCATION
LATINO BREAKDOWN
HS Degree or Equivalent
24%
Dominican
51%
Job Training Certificate
3%
Puerto Rican
34%
37%
Ecuadorian
10%
Colombian
4%
Mexican
2%
Associates, Bachelors or
Higher Degree
Graduated from a
Cypress Hills HS
20%
Some key findings from the adult survey were:
57% of parents of high school students report
that they talk with their child about the
importance of college and career, compared
to 65% of parents nationwide (Data Source:
NCES Educational Longitudinal Survey, 2002)
[estimate based on sophomores]
21% did not graduate from high school or have an
equivalent degree compared to 15 percent of
people nationwide (Data Source: Educational
Attainment in the United States 2009, U.S.
Department of Commerce Economics and
Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau)
Youth Surveys
Notable Statistics:
ZIP CODE RESIDENCY
11208
62%
11207
25%
LENGTH IN NEIGHBORHOOD
>10 years
49%
<2 years
5%
RESPONDENTS
Female
47%
Male
53%
11-21
2%
13-14
21%
15-16
36%
17-18
31%
19-20
10%
Latino
56%
Black/African
American
44%
Asian
1%
4 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
73% of the youth lived in the Cypress Hills
neighborhood
57% lived in the Cypress Hills Promise
Neighborhood Zone
60% went to school (6th – 12th grade) in the
Cypress Hills neighborhood in the
2012-2013 school year.
53% attended a school in Cypress Hills Promise
Neighborhood Zone in the 2012-2013
school year.
Some key findings from the youth survey were:
22% of middle and high school-aged children
participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate
to vigorous physical activity daily, compared to
29% of high school-aged children nationwide
(Data Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior
Survey, 2011).
17% of middle and high school-aged children in
Cypress Hills self-reported they consumed
five or more fruits and vegetables per day,
compared to 23% of high school-aged children
nationwide (Data Source: CDC Youth Risk
Behavior Survey, 2011).
57% of the young people report they feel safe
at school and traveling to and from school,
compared to 96% of middle and high schoolaged children nationwide, who report not
being afraid of attack or harm during the
school year (Data Source: NCES Indicator of
School and Crime Safety, 2009).
For an extended list of the results from the Adult
and Youth Surveys, please see Appendix B.
Key Findings from the
Community Forum
At the CHPN Community Forum, residents had the
opportunity to provide feedback on the four key
areas of the planning process (Community Life and
Safety, Health, K-12 Education and College Access
and Early Childhood Education) during community
strategy sessions that occurred throughout the
day. Each community strategy session allowed
attendees to learn about the status of the planning
process and to also provide their ideas about
solutions for each topic area. There were a total
of five sessions, including a session for teens. Two
members of the CHPN working groups facilitated
each session. Each strategy session group then
had the opportunity to report back to the larger
group at the end of the day.
Community Life and Safety
Strategy Session
Attendees focused on the issues of safety in the
community and in the neighborhood schools. The
indicator for this topic is the number and percent
of students who report that they feel safe in
school, and going to and from school. The group
identified potential solutions, including: improving
neighborhood infrastructure by cleaning up empty
lots, and increasing cameras, streetlights and
signage; increasing police presence; implementing
neighborhood watch groups; creating a community
recreation center; increasing the presence of
crossing guards at schools; and offering cultural
sensitivity training for school safety agents.
School Readiness (Early Childhood
Education) Strategy Session
The school readiness strategy session took a
look at creating solutions for children from 0-5
years old. The indicators for this area include the
number and percent of children who participate
in formal childcare and the number and percent
that demonstrate age-appropriate functioning
in multiple domains (such as physical, cognitive,
social-emotional, etc.) The ideas discussed
included: access resources for children’s care
providers (formal and informal), additional common
spaces for child care providers to take children,
increased use of technology for providers and
parents, more resources in libraries and book
mobiles and more financial support for low-income
parents with vouchers for day care, creating
systems to develop better relationships between
parents and child care providers, and providing
training to assist parents and guardians with
nurturing good social-emotional development in
their children.
Health Strategy Session
The attendees for the health strategy session
discussed potential solutions for three indicators:
the number and percent of children ages 0-5 who
have a place that they go other than an emergency
room for their medical care; the number and
percent of young people consuming five servings
of fruit and vegetables daily and the number
and percent of young people participating in 60
minutes of physical activity daily. Ideas discussed
included: better information for community
members about preventative care, implementing
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 5
community health forums, ensuring that there
are translators in health care facilities, extending
hours of health care clinics, making sure there is
mandatory physical activity that occurs in schools
twice a week and providing healthy foods cooking
demonstrations.
K-12 and College Access Strategy
Session
Attendees at the K-12 and College Access Strategy
Session discussed potential solutions for indicators
related to academic achievement, attendance and
graduation rates from high school and college, and
the number and percent of parents who encourage
their children to read outside of school, and talk to
them about the importance of college and career.
Some of the themes that came from the group’s
discussion included providing more resources for
parents to support their children in learning and
communicate with their children about school, as
well as increasing the availability of afterschool
tutoring to increase math and ELA scores.
6 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
Youth Community Strategy
Session
In the youth community strategy session, the group
reviewed three topic areas (safety, health and
K-12 education and college access) and gave their
feedback.
Safety: Students discussed often feeling unsafe
outside of their schools and sometimes inside.
Their suggested solutions included more police
visibility, and more recreational spaces for young
people, to help them stay out of trouble.
Health: The group discussed the desire to have
more sports teams and recreational spaces in the
area. Group members also stated that school lunch
does not include high quality fruit and vegetables,
and that they would like greater access to fruits
and vegetables.
Education Students discussed the importance
of having good curricula for English Language
Learners. Students also discussed the personal
issues that many students face which prevent them
from doing well in school, such as having abusive
parents, poor living conditions, or experiencing
bullying.
Key Findings:
Focus Groups
CHPN and ThinkBrooklyn staff conducted seven
focus groups, to gain more anecdotal data from
residents about important issues facing those
who live and attend school in Cypress Hills/East
New York. The CHPN team reviewed both the
quantitative results from the Neighborhood Survey
and the conversations held during the Community
Forum, and identified four key topics for discussion:
youth safety, support for English Language
Learners, support for children between the ages of
0-5, and social-emotional wellbeing.
Focus Group Methodology
With the exception of youth safety – which
occurred over the span of four focus group
sessions – one focus group session was held
per topic. In an effort to create safe spaces for
honest conversation, the CHPN team elected to
hold the youth safety focus group sessions with
different subsets of the student population: middle
school-aged females, middle school-aged males,
high school-aged females, and high school-aged
males. All of the youth participants were enrolled
in schools located on the initiative’s two partner
campuses – IS 302 (which houses Liberty Avenue
Middle, Vista Academy, and IS 302) and Franklin
K. Lane (which houses Academy of Innovative
Technology, Brooklyn Lab School, Cypress Hills
Collegiate Preparatory School, and Multicultural
High School).
For each of the groups, ThinkBrooklyn and CHPN
developed written reflection sheets (translated
into both English and Spanish) that allowed
participants to gather their thoughts on the topic
prior to discussion. In addition, participants in
the youth safety focus groups were asked to
complete a visual mapping exercise, in which they
marked their travel route to/from school, as well
as neighborhood areas they deemed “safe” and
“unsafe.” Respondents were given approximately
two hours to both complete the written response
sheet and participate in the topical discussion.
Interpretation services were provided for Spanishspeaking participants in the adult-centered focus
groups. In total, 68 community residents were able
to voice their concerns and share their experiences
with the Cypress Hills Promise Neighborhood team.
However, within the larger campus buildings,
both groups spoke about their frustration with
school safety agents. Participants felt that few
school safety agents are helpful in preventing
fights or protecting students who are routinely in
trouble, making the overall building feel unsafe.
Additionally, students recalled feeling unsafe in
common spaces where the entire school campus
was in attendance – for example, when gathered
together in a campus-wide assembly or during
dismissal at the end of the day. Students expressed
a desire for peer mediators and/or external
advocates who can facilitate discussions in the
event of a conflict, citing general distrust of school
administrators and a handful of teachers at their
schools. Students also expressed a desire for
opportunities where they can interact with students
from other schools within the building (perhaps
around a shared interest), in order to diffuse the
inter-school tension.
As for safety outside of school, the youth
participants’ responses to the mapping exercise
overwhelmingly resulted in a consensus that
Highland Park is an unsafe space, as well as the
neighborhood A, C, and J subway stations. They
explained that these public spaces are poorly lit
and attract crime. In terms of interacting with the
greater Cypress Hills/East New York community,
female participants pointed to issues of sexual
harassment in the neighborhood, and male
participants expressed distrust of the police. All of
the students demonstrated a concern about the
number of gang-related and drug-related crimes in
the area, as well as issues of online harassment.
Supporting English Language Learners
The adults who participated in this focus group
expressed a sincere need for increased support
from school administrators, particularly as they
try to navigate the school system and advocate
Youth Safety
With respect to safety in Cypress Hills Promise
Neighborhood schools, both middle school and
high school students indicated that they feel safe
within the context of their own individual school.
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 7
for their children. Participants stressed the
importance of having documents, such as letters
from the teacher and/or school and Individualized
Education Plans, translated into Spanish so that
they can understand them better and respond
appropriately. In addition, community residents
highlighted a desire for more Spanish-speaking
teachers, as well as school staff who are sensitive
to the difficulties of transitioning into the American
educational system. Some participants lauded the
work of Cypress Hills Advocates for Education
(CHAFE) in supporting the primarily Spanishspeaking parents in the neighborhood. However,
they emphasized that with few opportunities to
participate in the school community itself (thanks
to a lack of translation/interpretation services and
inflexible meeting times for working parents), they
do not feel like they can be as active in supporting
their children’s education as they would like to be.
Supporting Children Ages 0-5
The conversation for parents of young children
in Cypress Hills/East New York underscored
the difficulty of providing enough educational
resources to prepare them for entering school.
Participants were concerned about the low
availability of high quality programming; in
particular, participants were quick to point out
how few options there are for affordable care,
as well as full-day care while they are working.
Recognizing that there are limited child care seats
in the neighborhood, especially for infants and
toddlers, participants noted that there was more
they could do at home to prepare their children for
enrollment in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
They expressed a desire for opportunities to build
their parenting skills, especially as they navigate
the cultural divide between childrearing in their
home countries and here in the United States.
In particular, respondents asked for workshops
where they could come together with other
parents to learn from one another’s experience,
share educational items (i.e. books, flashcards),
and find out exactly what the expectations will be
for their children upon enrolling in school.
The parents also voiced their concerns about
their children’s development, noting that there
are almost no local places where they can seek
medical care consistently for their children.
Many community residents have been referred
to a Spanish-speaking pediatrician in a nearby
neighborhood through word of mouth, and while
they are satisfied with that doctor, they are also
looking to have a closer option, particularly in the
event that their children are extremely sick and
cannot travel too far to seek care.
8 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
Social-Emotional Well Being
Participants in this focus group shared a number
of concerns about how residents of Cypress
Hills/East New York interact and relate to one
another, the most prominent being that there
are actually few opportunities in which they can
congregate as a community. Residents shared
feelings of isolation from their fellow neighborhood
members, often pointing out that by living in the
same neighborhood, they share a number of
perspectives on community issues, such as school
quality, safety, health, and finances. However, they
have few outlets for collaboration to address the
needs of the greater community. The participants
said this is partially due to the growing diversity
in the neighborhood, where many cultural
differences (like language, education level, and
even immigration status) may keep neighbors from
socializing with one another. Additionally, there
are few safe spaces that are open to the public, so
even physical barriers keep residents from getting
together to talk about the issues that face their
neighborhood. Participants stressed that once
there are physical spaces where they can come
together and advocate for their own needs, there
must be open and honest communication about
those needs, so that seeking help and support for
hardships no longer bears a stigma.
CREATING THE FINAL PLAN
Process of Determining
Solutions
During the course of the planning year, the CHPN
Working Groups deliberated over the potential
programs and strategies that would compose
the initiative’s continuum of solutions. After
approximately eleven meetings per group, the
set of community residents and leaders who
participated in the planning process submitted over
150 possible solutions for review by the Cypress
Hills Promise Neighborhood Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee is the governing body of
the initiative, and is responsible for overseeing the
development of the management of the project,
as well as the final continuum of solutions for
implementation.
Between the conclusion of the working group
meetings and the beginning of the Steering
Committee vetting process, the CHPN team
worked to secure and organize the information that
would support the Steering Committee’s review.
The team reached out to service providers and
other planning process members to complete
outlines for each of the possible solutions for
consideration. These outlines included the
information that would be most important in
determining the final list of solutions – program
description, cost, evidence of impact, target
population served, and potential challenges/
opportunities for implementation. The outlines
were compiled and then shared with the Steering
Committee for their perusal. [Programs and
solutions that did not fit the criteria were placed on
a waiting list, so that the Steering Committee could
review them for inclusion into the implementation
plan, in the event that they felt they needed
more programmatic support to improve a specific
indicator. In total, the CHPN team presented
68 possible solutions for review, with the
approximately 90 remaining solutions put onto the
waiting list.
Vetting Process
In spring-summer 2014, the Steering Committee
convened four meetings to review the solutions
presented by the Working Groups. The group was
given the opportunity to brainstorm additional
factors to consider when deciding upon programs
and strategies, and they added several beyond
those presented in the informational outlines: preexisting partnerships, the extent of support from
school leadership, complementary programming,
and ability to be replicated or scaled up. After
reviewing each of the solutions holistically, the
Steering Committee decided upon approximately
45 solutions for inclusion into the CHPN
implementation plan. The Promise Neighborhood
team then created a first draft of the full continuum
of solutions, and on June 18, 2014, the team
presented it to the Working Group and Steering
Committee members in a celebration of their
collaborative work.
After the vetting process, the CHPN team reached
out to service providers to secure more specific
information that would allow them to design a
plan according to US DOE requirements, including
calculating saturation rates, determining the size
of the target population for each solution, and
setting numerical targets for each of the US DOE
Government Results and Performance Act (GPRA)
indicators.
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 9
THE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES/
SOLUTIONS FOR THE
CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE
NEIGHBORHOOD
OUTCOME 1: Children Enter Kindergarten Ready to Succeed.
Related indicators:
1. # and % of children birth to kindergarten entry who have a place where they usually go, other than an
emergency room, when they are sick or in need of advice about their health.
2. # and % of three-year-olds and children in kindergarten who demonstrate at the beginning of the
program or school year age-appropriate functioning across multiple domains of early learning as
determined using developmentally appropriate early learning measures (as defined in this notice).
3. # and % of children, from birth to kindergarten entry, participating in center-based or formal homebased early learning settings or programs, which may include Early Head Start, Head Start, child care, or
preschool.
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Nurse-Family
Partnership
A nationally recognized nurse home
visiting program that provides first-time
mothers with the care and support
necessary for a healthy pregnancy, as well
as providing education about responsibly
caring for their children.
SCO Family of
Services
Approximately 23
families at any one
time (based on
current capacity for
11207 and 11208,
and the percentage
of this area which
includes the PN
catchment area).
Healthy Families
An evidence-based voluntary home
visiting program for expectant and
new parents. The goals are to promote
positive parenting skills and parent-child
interaction, prevent child abuse and
neglect, promote optimal prenatal care
and child health and development, and
enhance family self-sufficiency.
Brookdale Hospital
20 families at any
one time. Families
can stay in the
program until their
children enter
kindergarten.
Parent Child Home
Program
A home visiting program that models
educational and play activities to support
parents of children who are preparing for
future enrollment in formal pre-school and
kindergarten settings.
SCO Family of
Services
54 families at any
one time. Families
can stay in the
program for two
years.
KinderCamp
Modeled on a similar program run by
the Promise Neighborhood in Chula
Vista, CA, our CHPN initiative would
launch a summer program for entering
kindergarteners, to support the transition
to kindergarten through building social
and emotional skills in the context of a fun
environment.
North Brooklyn YMCA
80 entering
kindergarteners.
10 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
continued
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Abriendo Puertas
Parent education program; helps parents
identify and build skills in children. This
curriculum is developed by the National
Head Start Association, and is a peer-topeer training program, which focuses on
building the capacity and knowledge of
parents of children ages 0-5.
Cypress Hills Local
Development
Corporation
225 parents
Children’s
Community
Classroom
Modeled on a similar program run by
the Hunts Point Alliance for Children,
our CHPN initiative would offer a drop-in
center where parents and caregivers, with
their children ages 0-5, would participate
in educational and social activities.
The Center would also offer support to
parents, and would use the Abriendo
Puertas curriculum. This curriculum is
developed by the National Head Start
Association, and is a peer-to-peer training
program, which focuses on building the
capacity and knowledge of parents of
children ages 0-5.
Cypress Hills Child
Care Corporation
100 children and
their caregivers.
Training for family
day care providers
and informal care
providers
Informal care providers will be trained
on child development, and licensed
family day care providers will receive
training about how to help children in
their care to become kindergarten-ready,
and to incorporate Common Core State
Standards into their practice.
Cypress Hills Child
Care Corporation
10 new providers,
caring for a total of
at least 60 children,
and 20 existing
providers that would
improve their skills.
Planning for
development of
new child care
facilities
CHPN would engage a real estate
consultant to assess available sites in the
community for the feasibility of developing
new childcare centers.
Cypress Hills Child
Care Corporation
We would find a site
for a center with four
classrooms, serving
70 children.
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 11
Outcome 2: Students Are Proficient in Core Academic Subjects
Related indicator:
1. # and % of students at or above grade level according to State mathematics and reading or language
arts assessments in at least the grades required by the ESEA (3rd through 8th and once in high school).
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Academically
enriched
afterschool and
summer programs
During the afterschool hours, and over
the summer, we will offer programs that
offer educational enrichment activities
that are aligned with school curricula.
Program design will vary by site and
age group, and sites will include models
such as The Afterschool Corporation’s
ExpanDED program, which offers an
extended day; Morningside Center for
Teaching Social Responsibility’s 4 Rs
Curriculum (Reading, Writing, Resolution,
and Respect); the NYC Department of
Education’s SummerQuest program;
and Regents exam preparation at the
CHLDC Student Success Center on the
Franklin K. Lane Campus. We will also
incorporate existing funding streams
from the NYC Department of Youth and
Community Development’s Out of School
Time program, and the US Department
of Education’s 21st Century Community
Learning Center program. Our programs
will also partner with DIVAS for Social
Justice, which will provide hands-on
activities to build students’ skills and
knowledge about technology.
TASC; Morningside
Center for Teaching
Social Responsibility;
NYC Department of
Education; DIVAS for
Social Justice.
990 elementary,
middle, and high
school students
School Renewal
Program
A citywide initiative that seeks to identify
eligible schools and transform them into
community schools. Through partnerships
with community-based organizations,
the city Department of Education plans
to create extended learning time within
the school schedule, as well as provide
school-wide supports and resources
in order to bolster overall academic
achievement.
NYC Department of
Education; Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School;
Multicultural High
School
345 students
at Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School
and Multicultural
High School
Peer Group
Connection
An evidence- based peer leadership
program that trains older students in
middle and high school to facilitate a
smoother transition for their younger
and newer peers from middle to high
school and from high school to college.
Research shows that CSS’s Peer
Group Connection (PGC) program
improves students’ academic, social,
and emotional skills, and results in
improved grades, better attendance,
fewer discipline referrals, less fighting,
and, ultimately, more students
completing high school.
Peer Group
Connection;
Brooklyn Lab School;
Multicultural High
School
146 students at
Brooklyn Lab School
and Multicultural
High School
12 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
continued
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
New York City
Literacy Network
The NYC Literacy Network is a
collaborative of citywide organizations
that provide literacy support services
for children birth-fifth grade. Partnering
organizations will offer individualized and
small group tutoring and instruction in
reading for ages 0-5. Partnering schools
will each develop specific plans with
appropriate organizations.
Participating
Elementary Schools
and partnering
organizations from the
Network, including
BELL, City Year,
Community Service
Society – Experience
Corps, Learning
Leaders, Literacy, Inc.,
READ Alliance, and
Reading Partners.
To be determined,
depending on each
school’s capacity.
Support for
teachers
The CHPN Initiative will coordinate
opportunities for intervisitation and
professional development across schools,
and for new teacher orientations to the
neighborhood and its resources.
Depending on teacher
interest related to
specific professional
development providers
and opportunities
will be accessible
to teachers on the
Franklin K. Lane
Campus.
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 13
Outcome 3: Students Successfully Transition from Middle Grades to
High School
Related indicator:
1. Attendance rate of students in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
School Renewal
Program
A citywide initiative that seeks to identify
eligible schools and transform them into
community schools. Through partnerships
with community-based organizations,
the city Department of Education plans
to create extended learning time within
the school schedule, as well as provide
school-wide supports and resources
in order to bolster overall academic
achievement.
NYC Department of
Education; Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School;
Multicultural High
School
154 students
at Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School
and Multicultural
High School
Attendance
Improvement
and Dropout
Prevention
A program designed to create
comprehensive interventions (including
an early warning tracking system) for
students who are identified to be at risk of
failing due to chronic absenteeism, other
attendance concerns, or performance
in classes. The program also includes
holistic coordination of services in a
school building, and incentives for
attendance for all students.
United Way, Brooklyn
Lab School, Henry
Street Settlement,
Cypress Hills Local
Development
Corporation
270 students at
Brooklyn Lab School
Peer Group
Connection
See description above, under Outcome 2.
14 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
OUTCOME 4: Youth Graduate from High School.
Related indicator:
1. Graduation rate
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Middle School
Student Success
Center
CHLDC’s Middle School Student Success
Center (MSSSC) helps middle school
students and their families to navigate
New York City’s complex high school
choice process. The program employs
adult staff as well as Youth Leaders –
middle school students who receive
training to act as peer educators and
counselors around the high school
choice process. The MSSSC aims to help
students from Cypress Hills enter high
schools with graduation rates that are
higher than the citywide average.
Liberty Avenue
Middle School, Vista
Academy
260 students at
Liberty Avenue
Middle School and
Vista Academy
9th and 10th grade
programming
Programming will be designed specifically
to support students who attend CHLDC
programs through the 8th grade and then
choose to enroll in a New York City high
school other than those that are located
on the Franklin K. Lane Campus.
Peer Group
Connection
See description above, under Outcome 2.
Job development
services
To prevent students from dropping
out based on their need to support
themselves or their families financially, the
CHPN Initiative will hire a job development
specialist to help students to participate
in internships or gain employment,
depending on their needs.
Attendance
Improvement
and Dropout
Prevention
See description above, under Outcome 2.
390 high school
students who were
previously enrolled
at PS 89 and Liberty
Avenue Middle
School
65 students annually
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 15
OUTCOME 5: High School Graduates Obtain a Postsecondary Degree,
Certification, or Credential.
Related indicator:
1. # and % of Promise Neighborhood students who graduate with a regular high school diploma, and
obtain postsecondary degrees, vocational certificates, or other industry-recognized certifications or
credentials without the need for remediation.
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
College Access
Counseling and
Support Services
CHLDC offers these services in a
storefront office, as well on our local high
school campus. Our programs employ
trained adult staff, as well as Youth
Leaders – current high school students
who act as peer educators and counselors
around college access. Our programs
individual counseling, group workshops,
SAT preparation classes, and college trips.
These services also include the National
Council de la Raza’s Escalera Program,
which promotes economic mobility for
Latino youth through career exploration,
technology skills development, leadership
development, personal development, and
academic support.
National Council de la
Raza
1,200 high school
students
College
Persistence
Program
CHLDC helps college students who
have graduated from CHLDC’s college
access programs to persist through
college and graduate. The program offers
ongoing counseling, support around
academic, financial and social issues, as
well as group workshops and summer
programming.
Programs at
CUNY to help
avoid remediation
and promote
persistence: CUNY
Start; CUNY
Accelerated Study
in Associate
Programs
(ASAP); and
CUNY Language
Immersion
Program (CLIP)
CUNY Start is a college transition program
for CUNY-bound students whose scores on
the CUNY Assessment Tests indicate that
they need to strengthen their scores and
academic skills prior to enrollment. This
program helps students avoid the need for
remedial classes. Those who enroll in the
program temporarily delay starting their
degree studies in order to participate in the
15- 18 week CUNY Start program.
CLIP is a college transition program for
CUNY-bound students whose scores on
the English Writing Skills Test (ACT or
SAT) indicate that they require intensive
English language immersion to prepare
them for the rigors of college-level
coursework in English. Similarly to CUNY
Start, CLIP helps students avoid the need
for remedial classes, since students
defer their admission to CUNY while
participating in the CLIP program.
CUNY ASAP is a college program
designed to help motivated community
college students earn their degrees as
quickly as possible, including additional
financial incentives and advisement
service to support their accelerated study.
16 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
450 college students
CUNY
30 college students
continued
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
CHLDC
CHAMPION
Network
The CHAMPION Network is a sectorial
employment program, focused on the
transportation and logistics sector, and
designed for young adults. The program
provides training, job placement, and
ongoing job retention support.
Employers in the
transportation and
logistics field
75 participants
Building Works
Building Works is an intensive preapprenticeship program that trains
participants for certification in construction
trades.
NYC District Council of
Carpenters
20 participants
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 17
OUTCOME 6: Students Are Healthy
Related indicators:
1. # and % of children who participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily;
2 # & % of children who consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION(S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Shop Healthy
An initiative that seeks to improve the
availability of healthy food offered at
bodegas in the community.
NYC Department of
Health and Mental
Hygiene District Public
Health Office
2,360 (total number
of students in target
population in grades
6-12)
CookShop
A nutrition-based curriculum that gives
low-income children, adults and teens the
knowledge and tools to adopt and enjoy
a healthy diet and active lifestyle on a
limited budget.
The Food Bank for
New York City
257 middle school
students (and their
parents) at PS 89
and Liberty Avenue
Middle School
HealthCorps
A group of programs designed for high
school students to increase healthy
food awareness and accessibility for
high school students through hands-on
cooking exercises and other educational
and physical activities.
HealthCorps
200-300 students
annually
Carol M. White
Physical Education
Program
A program that provides structured
physical education opportunities for
students beyond their scheduled gym
time during the school week.
US Department of
Education
445 middle school
students at PS 89
and Liberty Avenue
Middle School
Bike New York
Bike New York offers instruction in
biking through afterschool, weekend,
and summer programming, through
community-based Bike Education Centers.
Bike New York
325 middle and high
school students
Fitness
programming
at Beacon
Community Center
CHLDC’s Beacon Community Center
offers community-based physical
education activities for middle and high
school youth, including sport leagues,
dance classes and yoga.
235 middle and high
school students
Community
gardens
CHLDC, through support from the US
Department of Agriculture, is developing
and supporting eight community gardens,
which will be maintained by residents, and
will grow fruits and vegetables.
Through this work,
70 community
members will
engage in gardening
activities.
School wellness
councils
School wellness councils bring together
members of a school community
(students, parents, teachers, and
administrators) to develop policies to
encourage healthy eating and exercise
habits within the school.
18 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
PS 89; Liberty Avenue
Middle School)
445 middle school
students at PS 89
and Liberty Avenue
Middle School
OUTCOME 7: Students Feel Safe at School and in their Community
Related indicator:
1. # and % of students who feel safe at school and traveling to and from school, as measured by a school
climate needs assessment
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
The 4 Rs: Reading,
Writing, Respect
and Resolution
An in-school program that integrates
social-emotional learning and language
arts, supported through read-alouds,
book talks, and skills-based practice.
The program will also be integrated into
afterschool and summer programming. By
highlighting universal themes of conflict,
feelings, relationships, and community,
the 4Rs curriculum fosters a safer school
community. Students learn about peaceful
ways to resolve conflicts, which helps to
increase their feelings of safety in school.
Morningside Center
for Teaching Social
Responsibility
245 middle school
students at PS 89
and Liberty Avenue
Middle School
Peace in the
Family
A series of workshops designed to help
parents and other caregivers develop
skills in communication and problem
solving so they can build strong,
collaborative relationships with their
children. Workshops include identifying
strategies for dealing with anger and
settling conflicts through affirmations.
Morningside Center
for Teaching Social
Responsibility
100 parents
Restorative Circles
Restorative Circles engage students,
grades 6-12, in weekly sessions that
strengthen relationships, foster social and
emotional learning, and promote good
behavior. The program supports principals
and their planning teams in rethinking
school discipline policies to ensure that
they foster student’s social and emotional
learning and build on restorative
approaches.
Morningside Center
for Teaching Social
Responsibility,
Academy for
Innovative
Technology, Brooklyn
Lab School, Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School,
and Multicultural High
School
1,550 students
at Academy
of Innovative
Technology, Brooklyn
Lab School, Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School,
and Multicultural
High School
Youth Court
Youth Court trains teenagers to serve as
jurors, judges, and attorneys, handling
real-life cases involving their peers.
George Walker Jr.
Community Coalition,
Brooklyn Lab School
365 students at
Brooklyn Lab School
Community
and School
Beautification
Students will engage in a process of
identifying “hot spots” in or near their
schools where they feel unsafe, and then
work with a teaching artist to design and
install public art to revive the space, and
increase students’ feelings of safety.
Arts East New York
2,400 students
at Liberty Avenue
Middle School, Vista
Academy, Academy
of Innovative
Technology, Brooklyn
Lab School, Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School,
and Multicultural
High School
Training all program
service providers
in common mental
health knowledge
and screening tools
This strategy will encourage more open
conversation about the emotional needs
of community residents.
NYC Department of
Health and Mental
Hygiene
6,083 residents
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 19
Outcome 8: Students Live in Stable Communities
Related indicator:
1. Student mobility rate
SOLUTIONV
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Attendance
Improvement
and Dropout
Prevention
A program designed to create
comprehensive interventions (including
an early warning tracking system) for
students who are identified to be at risk of
failing due to chronic absenteeism, other
attendance concerns, or performance
in classes. The program provides social
services and intervention services, as
needed, which address external issues
that may affect a student’s ability to attend
and graduate from school.
United Way, Brooklyn
Lab School
270 students at
Brooklyn Lab School
Solidifying referral
systems to
community based
organizations
that offer eviction
prevention
services
This strategy will facilitate greater
accessibility to currently existing
programming in the neighborhood.
Partnership for the
Homeless, Catholic
Charities Homebase
Program
6,083 residents
20 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
OUTCOME 9: Families and Community Members Support Learning in
Promise Neighborhood Schools
Related indicators:
1. For children birth to kindergarten entry, the # and % of parents or family members who report that they
read to their child three or more times a week; 2) For children in kindergarten through the eighth grade,
the # and % of parents or family members who report encouraging their child to read books outside of
school; and 3) For children in the ninth through twelfth grades, the # and % of parents or family members
who report talking with their child about the importance of college and career
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Parent Child Home
Program
A home visiting program that models
educational and play activities to support
parents of children who are preparing for
future enrollment in formal pre-school and
kindergarten settings.
SCO Family of
Services
54 families at any
one time. Families
can stay in the
program for two
years.
Abriendo Puertas
See description above, under Outcome 1.
Children’s
Community
Classroom
Modeled on a similar program run by
the Hunts Point Alliance for Children,
our CHPN initiative would offer a drop-in
center where parents and caregivers, with
their children ages 0-5, would participate
in educational and social activities.
The Center would also offer support to
parents, and would use the Abriendo
Puertas curriculum. This curriculum is
developed by the National Head Start
Association, and is a peer-to-peer training
program, which focuses on building the
capacity and knowledge of parents of
children ages 0-5.
Cypress Hills Child
Care Corporation
100 children and
their caregivers
Peace in the
Family
A series of workshops designed to help
parents and other caregivers develop
skills in communication and problem
solving so they can build strong,
collaborative relationships with their
children. Workshops include identifying
strategies for dealing with anger and
settling conflicts through affirmations.
Morningside Center
for Teaching Social
Responsibility
100 parents
Padres
Comprometidos
A program that trains parents to
understand the public school system,
develop goals for their children,
understand academic requirements, and
model behaviors at home that encourage
and promote learning.
National Council de
la Raza
360 families of
students at PS 89,
PS 108, PS 345,
Liberty Avenue
Middle School, Vista
Academy, Academy
of Innovative
Technology, Brooklyn
Lab School, Cypress
Hills Collegiate
Preparatory School,
and Multicultural
High School
Student Success
Center Parent
Workshops
Parent workshops based out of the
CHLDC Student Success Center located
on the Franklin K. Lane Campus. These
workshops educate parents on college
access, including required exams and the
process of applying for college.
46 parents
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 21
continued
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
Community-wide
reading campaign
This campaign will encourage reading
across school settings and program sites,
across a common theme or topic.
6,083 residents
Community wide
art projects and
cultural trips
These projects will encourage artistic
expression across school settings and
program sites, especially around familybased outings and common themes or
topics.
6,083 residents
Brooklyn Public
Library
Ready, Set, Kindergarten! is a story time
for children and parent training workshop
in one. The program demonstrates
activities that parents can do with their
children to get them ready to read and
ready for school.
Brooklyn Public
Library/NYC Literacy
Initiative
To be determined,
in collaboration with
the NYC Literacy
Initiative
Literacy, Inc.
Parent Engagement Program provides
four parent engagement workshops per
year for parents of students in grades
pre-K to 2.
Literacy, Inc./NYC
Literacy Initiative
To be determined,
in collaboration with
the NYC Literacy
Initiative
Reach out and
Read
Reach out and Read partners with doctors
to prescribe books and encourage families
with children ages 3 months-5 years to
read together.
Reach out and Read/
NYC Literacy Initiative
To be determined,
in collaboration with
the NYC Literacy
Initiative
22 CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY • FINAL REPORT
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Outcome 10: Students Have Access to 21st Century Learning Tools.
Related indicator: # and % of students who have school and home access (and % of the day they have
access) to broadband Internet and a connected computing device.
SOLUTION
DESCRIPTION
PARTNERING
ORGANIZATION (S)
TARGET
POPULATION SIZE
Partnership with
the citywide WiFi expansion
initiative
This initiative will take advantage
of unused payphones and other
opportunities to create Wi-Fi hubs for the
neighborhood.
NYC Department
of Information
Technology and
Telecommunications
6,083 residents
Please Note
The implementation of each solution will be determined based on a few factors, including adequate
funding, as well as the availability and capacity of partners. Although each solution has been identified as a
part of the overall Cypress Hills Promise Neighborhood Implementation Plan, there is still a possibility that
solutions may be added or removed.
The solutions will be supported by case managers who will be on the ground engaging isolated and highrisk groups in the community and aid in providing smooth transitions between the different parts of the
continuum. Additionally, there are specific solutions that are community based and look to specifically
engage parents. Those solutions will be a part of the Cypress Hills Promise Neighborhood’s Parent
University, which will provide support for parents with workshops and trainings.
FINAL REPORT • CYPRESS HILLS PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY 23
NOTES
CYPRESS
HILLS
LOCAL
DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION
About Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
With community residents leading the way, the mission of the
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation is to build a strong
sustainable Cypress Hills/East New York, where youth and adults
achieve educational and economic success, secure affordable
housing, and develop leadership skills to transform their lives and
community. Local residents and merchants founded CHLDC in 1983.
CHLDC serves 8,000 residents annually and delivers programs
that target the area's physical and economic infrastructure, provide
educational and social services and foster local leaders.
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
625 Jamaica Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11208
T: 718-647-2800
F: 718-647-2805
www.cypresshills.org