The initiative 500 under 5 was a place-based approach to promoting school readiness in two geographic zones in north Minneapolis. It began as a collaborative initiative with community partners to engage parents, coordinate and improve services and supports for families, and provide information to parents and providers about how children are doing in their development of school readiness skills.
The project began in 2007 as a collaborative between the University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development (CEED), Folwell Center for Urban Initiatives (CUI), and Hennepin County’s Department of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement. In 2008-09 CUI stepped out and 500 under 5 was joined by the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, the Minneapolis Public Schools, Way to Grow, and members of the Northside community.
500 under 5 and The Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)
In 2008, 500 under 5 was a founding member of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ). NAZ is a collaborative, place-based effort to replicate the concepts of the Harlem Children’s Zone so that children in the north Minneapolis zone are ready for college.
500 under 5 joined forces with NAZ in 2010 to anchor NAZ's early childhood work. In joining with NAZ, 500 under 5 can engage families early and often to ensure kindergarten readiness, help to ensure a smooth transition from early childhood to kindergarten, and connect children with high quality education, services, and family support to make sure they are ready for college.
What does it mean that 500 under 5 merged with NAZ?
The goal of 500 under 5 remains the same - all children ready for kindergarten and life success. The program development and research conducted by 500 under 5 will continue through the University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development (CEED). The program delivery and implementation work of 500 under 5 will now happen through the NAZ Early Childhood Action Team. The name 500 under 5 will not be used to describe the early childhood (EC) work of NAZ. The Farview 500 under 5 zone will merge with the NAZ zone and serve children in the Bethune school who live in the NAZ zone.
NAZ community engagement strategies will recruit families, deliver information, and help families make family plans and connections to early childhood services and support. One key offering will be connection to the CEED Early Childhood Assessment Team and Family Academy. Through community engagement, child assessments, and effective program delivery, parents learn about:
The end result of the 500 under 5 / NAZ merger is a strong, research-based collaborative effort to promote kindergarten readiness for children in our geographic area and document progress toward that goal. Children and families can have a continuity of high quality, coordinated services and supports through NAZ that will continue up through college.
What is the goal of 500 under 5’s work in NAZ and CEED?
500 under 5’s goal is that children enter kindergarten ready for school and future life success and that parents and families have access to the information and services that will help them reach this goal.
For more information contact Kristina Lemmer, Kristina.lemmer@ci.minneapolis.mn.us