Community Innovation Zones (CIZ)

Past Special Initiative

Community Innovation Zones (CIZ)

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Providing Pennsylvania’s children with quality early learning experiences is a collaborative effort of families, schools, and communities that can produce a return on investment for all. Supports at the state level are important, but often the most innovative and successful strategies are borne from local collaboration and solutions. The Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grant Program offered 50 Community Innovation Grants to at-risk elementary schools and neighborhoods.

Over the course of three years, Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grant recipients received intensive supports focused on increasing the use of developmental screenings, implementation of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory, and local grants to strengthen relationships between early childhood providers and schools to build birth – 3rd grade alignment, to increase family supports and engagement, and to strengthen community networks of organizations supporting families. Best and promising practices were documented and shared with other communities throughout the state.

Grantee Information

In 2014, Pennsylvania awarded 12 Early Childhood Education Community Innovation Zone Grants to 12 communities to expand local programs that help bridge the achievement gap for at-risk young children. In 2015, Pennsylvania awarded an additional 38 grants to local communities for a total of 50 Community Innovation Zone grantees.

For more information about the Community Innovation Zone Grants, please visit the PA Department of Education website.

Grants issued in 2014-15:

Allegheny County – Pittsburgh Public Schools, serving Pittsburgh Arsenal Elementary School (Pittsburgh Public Schools) – $75,000
Allegheny County – Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, serving Faison Elementary School (Pittsburgh Public Schools) – $75,000
Chester County – Chester County Intermediate Unit, serving Jordan Bank Elementary School (Oxford Area SD) – $75,000
Dauphin County – The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, serving Downey and Foose elementary schools (Harrisburg SD) – $74,830
Fayette County – Private Industry Council of Westmoreland / Fayette, Inc., serving Masontown Elementary School (Albert-Gallatin Area SD) – $70,287
Greene County – Community Action Southwest, serving Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School (Jefferson-Morgan SD) – $75,000
Lebanon County – Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, serving Northwest Elementary School (Lebanon SD) – $75,000
Luzerne County – Greater Nanticoke Area School District, serving KM Smith and Kennedy elementary schools (Greater Nanticoke Area SD) – $27,738
Montgomery County – Pottstown School District, serving Barth, Franklin, Lincoln, Rupert elementary schools – $75,000
Philadelphia County – Drexel University, serving Alain Locke, McMichael Morton, Samuel Powell, Martha Washington elementary schools (Philadelphia SD) – $74,914
Philadelphia County – Parent Power (What Will You Do With Yours?), serving General George Meade Elementary School (Philadelphia SD) – $73,316
Venango County – Child Development Centers, Inc., serving Hasson Heights Elementary School (Oil City Area SD) – $75,000
Phase II

Grants issued in 2015-16:

Allegheny County – Focus on Renewal serving Sto-Rox Elementary School (Sto-Rox SD)– $75,000
Allegheny County – McKeesport Area School District Twin Rivers Primary School(McKeesport SD)– $75,000
Beaver County – HAP Enterprises, INC serving Rochester Elementary School (Rochester Are SD)– $75,000
Beaver County – Private Industry Council of Westmoreland / Fayette, INC serving Beaver Falls Elementary (Big Beaver Falls SD)– $74,623
Berks County -Berks County Intermediate Unit serving Glenside Elementary School (Reading SD)– $75,000
Blair County – Begin with Us Child Care and Preschool, INC serving Pleasant Valley Elementary School and Penn Lincoln Elementary School (Altoona Area SD)– $75,000
Blair County – Tyrone Area School District serving Tyrone Area Elementary School (Tyrone SD)– $75,000
Bradford, Sullivan, and Tioga Counties -The ARC of Pennsylvania (Include Me) serving Towanda Area School District(Towanda Area SD)- $74,925
Butler County – Slippery Rock University Student Government Association Preschool and Child Care Center serving Slippery Rock Elementary School and Moraine Elementary School (Slippery Rock Area SD) – $75,000
Cambria County – Greater Johnstown School District serving East Side Elementary School – (Greater Johnstown SD) – $75,000
Clearfield – Cen-Clear Child Services, INC serving Clearfield Elementary School (Clearfield Area SD)- $75,000
Crawford County – Meadville Children’s Center serving First District Elementary School and Second District Elementary School(Crawford Central SD)– $75,000
Crawford County – United Way of Titusville serving Titusville Early Childhood Learning Center (Titusville Area SD) – $75,000
Cumberland County – South Middleton School District serving W.G. Rice Elementary School (South Middleton SD) – $75,000
Erie County – Erie’s Public Schools serving Lincoln Elementary School (Erie’s Public Schools)– $75,000
Erie County – United Way of Erie serving Iroquois Elementary School (Erie’s Public Schools)– $69,515
Indiana County – Marion Center Area School District serving Rayne Elementary School and McCreery Elementary School (Marion Center Area SD) – $75,000
Fayette County – Intermediate Unit #1 serving R.W. Clark elementary School (Laurel Highland SD)– $75,000
Huntingdon County – Mount Union Area School District serving MU-Kistler Elementary School and Shirley Township Elementary School – $74,725
Indiana County – Saltsburg Elementary School serving Saltsburg Elementary School– $74,942
Juniata County – Tuscarora Intermediate Unit serving Fermanagh-Mifflintown Elementary School (Mount Union Area SD) – $75,000
Lackawanna/Wyoming Counties – Keystone College serving Lackawanna Trail Elementary School (Lackawanna Trail SD) – $74,997
Lackawanna County – United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne Counties serving McNichols Plaza Elementary School and John F. Kennedy Elementary School (Scranton SD)– $74,999
Lancaster County- Early Childhood Innovative Connections serving Highland Elementary School Ephrata Area SD)– $73,904
Luzerne County -Hazelton Area SD serving Hazle Township Early Learning Center and Arthur Street Elementary School Hazelton SD) – $75,000
Luzerne County -Pittston Area School District serving Pittston Area Primary Center and Pittston Are Intermediate Center (Pittston Area SD)– $75,000
Luzerne County – Luzerne Intermediate Unit serving Hanover Green Elementary School (Hanover Area SD)– $75,000
Lycoming County – Lycoming-Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action (STEP), INC Thaddeus Stevens Primary School (Williamsport Area SD)– $75,000
McKean County – Bradford Area School District serving George G. Blaisdell Elementary School and School Street Elementary School (Bradford Area SD) – $75,000
Northampton County -Family Connections of Easton serving Paxinosa Elementary School (Easton Area SD) – $75,000
Philadelphia County- Elwyn Special Education for Early Developmental Success (SEEDS) serving F. Amedee Bregy Elementary School, George W. Nebinger School, Solis-Colin Academics Plus Elementary School, and Prince Hall School (Philadelphia SD) – $75,000
Philadelphia County – Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children serving William Cramp School (Philadelphia SD) – $75,000
Philadelphia County – Diversified Community Services serving McDaniel Elementary School– (Philadelphia SD) $75,000
Westmoreland County – Greensburg Salem School District serving Amos K. Hutchinson Elementary School (Greensburg Salem SD)– $75,000
Westmoreland County – United Way of Westmoreland serving Grandview Elementary School Derry Area SD)– $74,989
York County – JG Early Intervention Specialists, INC serving Ferguson K-8 School (York City SD)– $74,993
York County – United Way of York serving McKinley Elementary School (York City SD)– $75,000
York County – YWCA of York serving Goode Elementary School (York City SD) – $75,000

COMMUNITY INNOVATION ZONE eNews

Community Innovation Zone eNews: July 2017