Drexel's Urban Health Collaborative Publishes Neighborhood Health Profile for Philadelphia Promise Zone

Dornsife School of Public Health faculty and students will play an instrumental role in implementing a large new grant aimed at improving the education and developmental outcomes of children and youth living and attending school in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone.

Drexel, the City of Philadelphia, The School District of Philadelphia and several other area groups and non-profit partners were awarded a U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods grant providing up to $30 million over five years. he group will target lifelong literacy, behavioral health, and trauma-informed family and community supports to improve the “cradles to careers” trajectory of all children in the HUD-designated Promise Zone that surrounds Drexel’s University City campus.

The Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel's Dornside School of Public Health have created a  neighborhood health profile for the federally-designated Promise Zone in West Philadelphia. UHC will also facilitate discussions with residents and neighborhood groups about how the profile data can be used to prioritize and advocate for community health needs. UHC plans to extend the profiles to other Philadelphia neighborhoods over the next year.Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other priorities identified by the community.

Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other priorities identified by the community.