DC interest great in the promise of Promise Neighborhoods

Seventeen organizations in DC have submitted letters of intent to apply for the US Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods funding.   Those orgs which submitted LOIs are:

1. Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative
2. Center for Inspired Teaching
3. Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy
4. Coalition of Organizations and Individuals Nurturing Neighborhoods Successfully (COINNS)
5. DC Association of Chartered Public Schools
6. DC VOICE
7. Eagle Academy Public Charter School
8. East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership, Inc.
9. Everybody Wins! DC
10. Friendship Public Charter School
11. Multicultural Career Intern Program
12. Neighbors of Seaton Place, Inc.
13. Perry School Community Services Center, Inc.
14. The High Tea Society
15. American University National Center for Health and Fitness
16. The George Washington University
17. Friends of Ballou/CFNCR

Submitting a letter of intent to apply was not required by the ED so other organizations may end up submitting applications.   Organizations which have submitted the letters may also decide not to apply.   Those not familiar with the Promise Neighborhood initiative should go to the US Department of Education's web site.

It will be interesting to see how the DC organizations propose to integrate the federal view that "Promise Neighborhoods will be most successful when they are part of, and contributing to, a city’s or region’s broader neighborhood revitalization strategy."   A significant player in the success of Promise Neighborhoods in DC is the local government, the thought leader and major funder of neighborhood revitalization.   As the application package notes,

we believe that it is important for communities to develop a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy that addresses each of the essential neighborhood assets (as defined in this notice), which include accessible developmental, commercial, recreational, physical, and social assets that are vital to transforming distressed neighborhoods into healthy and vibrant communities of opportunity.

From my vantage point, it doesn't seem to me that many of the organizations submitting letters of intent have the kind of deep relationships with government needed to pull this off.   That said, the application is for a year of planning, so perhaps a current relationship is not necessary.   We will know more in the fall when the announcement is made.