Nope, not that Canada, this time we’re referring to Geoffrey Canada, the mastermind behind the Harlem Children’s Zone. Mr. Canada’s ideas have been credited with accomplishing amazing things for urban students in New York’s Harlem neighborhood, but he goes beyond school. Beginning with “baby college” and taking it all the way through 10th grade (so far), the Harlem Children’s Zone is one of those ideas President Obama talks about often because if it can be replicated, it might be the solution to a lot of the woes facing large and urban districts.
National Public Radio’s This American Life program did a piece on Mr. Canada last fall, to add to the long list of spotlights from major media outlets. Last night, 60 Minutes’ Anderson Cooper showcased Mr. Canada again and provided some evidence from Roland Fryer (a Harvard EdLab professor) about the dynamic changes already taking place within the Harlem Children’s Zone. If you didn’t catch it on TV, the video is below. And if you want to see Mr. Canada in person, check out NSBA’s Black Caucus luncheon in Chicago (part of NSBA’s Annual Conference), where he’ll be speaking April 11.
