Five organizations received money from the government to create Promise Neighborhoods.

The winners, announced by the U.S. Department of Education today, are:

—Westminister Foundation. of Buffalo, N.Y.; which got $1.49 million

— Berea College in Berea, Kentucky which will work with Clay, Jackson, and Owsley counties in that state; which got nearly $6 million

—United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County in San Antonio, Texas, which got $4.3 million

—California State University – East Bay in Hayward, Calif., which got nearly $4 million

— Northside Academy, in Minneapolis. which got $5.6 million

According to the Department of Education’s press release today, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Obama Melody Barnes stated, “I commend all communities that are putting education at the center of efforts to fight poverty in urban and rural areas. The goal of Promise Neighborhoods is to provide the resources and support young people need to succeed while transforming distressed neighborhoods into communities of opportunity.”

I’m eagerly following the president’s Promise Neighborhood initiative.  This is exactly the type of work I want to do.  Read more here.