ABOUT US
Springfield Promise Neighborhood was founded in 2010 with the Asset-Based Community Development concept: engaging the community and activating the talents of our community members will help us all lift up our children, youth, and families.
We studied the Harlem Children's Zone, the Northside Achievement Zone, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and the Coalition for Community Schools to create an approach unique to Springfield.​
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Our initiative is just one of many Promise Neighborhoods operating in cities all over the country. Unlike others, Springfield Promise is one of only a few Promise Neighborhood initiatives that began with only local funding.
No one program can solve the academic and social issues predicated by multiple out-of-school traumas and challenges. Our approach responds most directly to the opportunity gaps in low-income communities by providing coordinated opportunities and enhanced services that prove the value of youth-focused and community-based investments.
Our work has a unique asset-based approach:
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Commit to the public school system and work with the Springfield City School District to serve students in need, extending services and opportunities that support academic, career, and social success
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Partner with local grassroots community organizations, long-standing nonprofits, and public, private, and governmental institutions to increase access to resources, expand learning opportunities, and foster a collaborative ecosystem
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Spark resident-led social change, working with neighbors as they build their community into what they want it to be, by listening to their needs and wants first
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Recruit and employ Springfield residents to be leaders & co-dreamers
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Create a culture of aspiration, in which it is normal to succeed, to be smart, and to be kind
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Create family engagement opportunities for parents and students to build relationships and skills, especially in areas of safety, housing, health, and youth development
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Develop and sustain a formerly vacant lot into a neighborhood-based community garden for food access and family space
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Develop renewable, stable, and enhanced funding streams that support sustainable projects and initiatives, leading to further investment
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Provide training and professional development to staff and volunteers in trauma-informed care practices, effective Prevention strategies, and evidence-based curriculum.
Springfield Promise Neighborhood partners with families, schools, and community leaders to create equitable learning opportunities, foster holistic support systems, and empower neighborhoods, so that every child can thrive.
Expand high-quality afterschool and summer programs integrating evidence-based prevention, social-emotional learning, mentoring, and mental health supports to reduce risk behaviors and strengthen protective factors.
Align schools, systems, higher education, and coalitions to maximize collective impact.
Deliver evidence-based family strengthening and parenting programs that improve communication, stability, and supportive home environments.
Activate neighborhood spaces, promote food access and wellness, create spaces of natural beauty, and build resident leadership.
Our Goals
