Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone
Dear Friend,
I am writing to ask your help in a project that I believe holds great promise for the children of the Woodlawn community. For several months, Woodlawn community and school leaders have been involved in a series of discussion which have led to the creation of the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone (WCPZ). Modeled in part on the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City, in collaboration with parents, guardians, school leaders, and institutional partners, we would like to enhance the resources available to Woodlawn youth from birth through college completion. We are making plans that include health care initiatives, early childhood programs, expanded after-school, and summer learning courses.
One of our most important priorities is helping youngsters get off to a better start in school. As a first step toward that goal, we plan a massive tutoring program in the 9 elementary schools of Woodlawn, concentrating, for this year at least, on reading in the early grades, Kindergarten through 3rd grade. We will need at least 300 tutors. Tutors will include college students, high school students, parents, members of faith communities, and military personnel. Most of our schools prefer that tutors come twice a week in the afternoon but we can use tutors at all times of day and if you are only available once a week, we will work with your schedule.
We are rebuilding the broken places in Woodlawn and we need your help. Tutoring applications can be found on-line at http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/faculty/tutoring%20application.pdf ; They are also available at Apostolic Church, 6320 S. Dorchester Ave.; at Sunshine Gospel Ministry, 500 E. 61st Street; or the Neighborhood Schools Program Office, 5525 S. Ellis Ave. They are also available at the nine Woodlawn elementary schools.
Sincerely,
Bishop Arthur M. Brazier
Pastor Emeritus
Apostolic Church of God
Chair, Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone
