By: Brenda Calderon, Ph.D., Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

“Promise Neighborhoods build on the rich resources, ingenuity, and creativity of communities to bring together schools, nonprofits, and other organizations in a concerted effort to meet the needs of children and youth”
— Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

What if students were supported from cradle to college and career by their schools and other partners in their own communities so that they can reach their full potential?

The Promise Neighborhoods grant program helps realize this vision by providing grant funding to address the many impacts that concentrated poverty has on a child’s education. Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced $18 million in implementation grants to expand partnerships to better meet the comprehensive needs of underserved communities. The Department plans to make up to three grant awards, for up to $6,000,000 each, for this new round of funding. The Department will also be awarding an additional $6 million for extension grants.

Authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, the Promise Neighborhoods Program is intended to significantly improve academic and developmental outcomes for children living in communities of concentrated poverty. This year’s competition will require applicants to speak to one or more of three priorities:

1: Programs Serving Non-Rural and Non-Tribal Communities
2: Programs Serving Rural Areas
3: Programs Serving Tribal Communities

In addition to the above-mentioned priorities, the Department is also seeking applications that address the following priorities:

Priority 1: Strengthening Cross-Agency Coordination and Community Engagement to Advance Systemic Change. Recognizing the impact of school and community safety on learning, the Department is interested in applications that are coordinating across multiple agencies and organizations to address community violence prevention and intervention.

Priority 2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success. This priority also includes an invitational priority to increase the number or percentage of students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Priority 3: Evidence-Based Activities to Support Academic Achievement. This priority emphasizes projects that leverage activities, strategies, or interventions backed by high-quality evidence and that support instructional practices associated with increased student achievement, graduation rates, and postsecondary success.

Each of these priorities reflect the Biden- Harris Administration’s commitment to equity and goal of expanding partnerships that move our communities forward in equitable, sustainable ways. Applications will open on June 29th and will close 90 days after publication of the Notice. To learn more about the Promise Neighborhoods program, please visit Promise Neighborhoods (PN) – Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.