By Nicole Bode
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — Harlem Children’s Zone got another round of accolades yesterday, this time getting tapped by the federal government to become the model for 20 other areas around the nation, according to reports.
The massive school complex, which covers the span from a “baby university” to teach pregnant parents about child rearing to college prep programs, has been hailed as the future of education, including by President Barack Obama.
Now the government is putting its money where its mouth is, doling out $500,000 grants to other agencies seeking to replicate Harlem Children’s Zone success, according to the New York Post.
The Obama administration has reportedly asked for $200 million in the 2011 federal budget to give to 21 new projects, with an extra $10 million to follow.
Some of the recipients of the funds include local agencies like the Abyssinian Development Corp., which is set to build an educational program in central Harlem, as well as a program in Brooklyn, according to the Post.
Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Geoffrey Canada is expected to walk the red carpet at tonight’s premiere of the new documentary “Waiting for Superman,” which chronicles his journey through the education system.
