The NAZ Promise Neighborhood is a collaboration of over 50 organizations and schools who work with children and families in a geographic area, or “Zone” of North Minneapolis to build a culture of achievement so that all youth graduate college ready. Families and children move through a “cradle to career” pipeline that provides comprehensive support from pre-natal through age 18, through three pillars of impact:
Pillar 1: Family Engagement and Opportunity Alignment
Pillar 2: Education Pipeline
Pillar 3: Whole-Family Wrap Around Support
NAZ is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that is designed to replicate the success of the Harlem Children’s Zone. It is both an organization and a collaborative effort that brings together neighbors (including parents and youth), schools, service-providers and government. As gaps in the pipeline are uncovered, additional partners bringing a commitment to proven practices may be identified.
NAZ Mission and Values
Mission
The mission of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) is to build a culture of achievement in a geographic zone in North Minneapolis to ensure that all youth graduate from high school college-ready.
We will do this by partnering with schools, organizations, and families to significantly improve education and guarantee opportunities to support for children from pre-birth to college.
Values
These are what we live by. They work together to form the foundation for all programming, actions, and decisions.
Collaborative and Place-Based Focus. Local schools, non-profits, and community organizations are collaborating in a targeted geographic area to build achievement plans as well as channel and enhance high-quality resources and opportunities for kids and families in the Zone. Taking a geographic approach will allow us to bring impact to scale.
Change From Within. We are committed to building a culture of achievement from within the Northside by collaborating with families, neighbors, and community. Our engagement strategies will focus on equipping and empowering parents and neighbors to participate in, shape and benefit from our collective work.
Child- and Family-Focused. Our work is organized around outcomes for children, youth, and families before outcomes for programs and organizations. We are holistic and comprehensive, both as a collaborative effort and in our approach to working with families. Involvement of families in the learning process is crucial to success. We see potential in ALL kids.
Accountability and High Standards. We engage in a learning community, using research and evaluation to continually refine our work, measure progress and make decisions. Good enough is not adequate; we expect excellence of ourselves, our organizations, and the community.
Relationship and Transparency. We recognize that relationships are a significant aspect of the work. We are transparent with participants, the community and each other. We operate with integrity and voice our expectations. We give our partners the benefit of the doubt and their best intentions.
Diversity and Inclusion. We are committed to the community and ALL children residing in the Zone regardless of affiliation (ethnic, political, faith, organization). We embrace differences and know that we are enriched by them. We will not tolerate discriminatory practices.
Starting Early and Staying Long-Term. Our belief is that the educational achievement gap does not start at kindergarten; it begins in the womb. To meet the needs of children at all stages of their development, NAZ will provide a connected stream of effective services that directly impact a child’s education and future success. We will connect the pipeline of services and education that run along the continuum from pre-natal through early childhood and K-12 to college.
Effective Use of Resources. Success is measured and resources are distributed based on outcomes for children rather than how programs needs are being met. We use strategic connections inside and outside of the Zone to accomplish our objective of ALL children growing up prepared for college.