Authored by Mark Friedman, “Trying Hard is Not Good Enough” details the Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) framework. Results-Based Accountability (RBA) is a disciplined, data-driven approach to move from talk to action and improve outcomes for children and families, at the local, regional, and national level. Promise Neighborhoods can use this approach to: accelerate their achievement of Promise Neighborhoods results, measure the success of their strategies and utilize these measurements to improve performance, and move into highly aligned action to execute a cradle-to-career continuum of services and supports. 

Authored by Patton Stephens, this tool describes the stages involved in creating a container for results. Promise Neighborhoods can use a “container to achieve results” to accelerate their achievement of Promise Neighborhoods results, create a shared accountability to results, and increase partner buy-in. 

This study assessed whether proximity to a supermarket modified the effects of an obesity intervention for participating children aged 6 to 12 years with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile. Authors found that living closer to a supermarket is associated with greater improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and weight status in an obesity intervention. 

In 2013, Virginia Community Capital (VCC) launched the Virginia Fresh Food Loan Fund to enhance access to nutritious foods in Virginia’s inner cities, small towns, and rural communities. As a community development financial institution (CDFI), VCC supports small businesses and community development projects by offering flexible capital, investment opportunities, and advisory services.

This report is volume 3 of USDA’s food hub technical report series and provides modules, best practices, and financial benchmarks for different stages of business development for food hubs to assess their own financial viability and assist in making strategic business decisions to maximize profits and control costs.

The capacity to leverage policy advocacy and systems change is critical to scaling up and sustaining efforts to ensure that youth living in Promise Neighborhoods are healthy and connected to the necessary services and supports to prepare them for college and career success. During this webinar, Rosa Ramirez Richter (Healthy Schools Campaign) discussed best practices to achieve healthy nutrition and active living through policy advocacy and will highlight successful efforts in Chicago to build a parent-driven coalition that successfully reforms food and wellness policies at the district-level. Mk Nguyen (St. Paul Promise Neighborhood) and Patrick Ness (Amherst H. Wilder Foundation) shared St. Paul Promise Neighborhood’s successful efforts to achieve and sustain Promise Neighborhoods results by: building a diverse and effective coalition, partnering with community residents, and forging strong relationships with elected officials at the local, state, and federal level.

Parent and community engagement is critical to achieving and sustaining Promise Neighborhoods results. Moreover, research demonstrates that children whose parents are involved in their reading and learning are more likely to have stronger academic performances and fewer absences. During this webinar, Marilyn Joseph (Harlem Children’s Zone) and Alysha Price and Michelle Martin (Northside Achievement Zone) lifted up strategies to ensure that parents are: reading to their children, preparing them for college and career success, and equipped with the skills and access needed to meaningfully contribute to the achievement of results at every stage of the cradle to career continuum (GPRAs 12-14).

During this webinar, Caitlin Smith (Social Solutions) presented updates to the PNI Impact Report and answered related questions. Jose Mireles and Monica Martin (Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood) shared strategies to align programmatic staff and external partners with the framework and activities required to secure high-quality collection, input, management, and reporting, of data

To illustrate the impact of the Promise Neighborhoods program's cradle-to-career approach, the U.S. Department of Education and the Center for the Study of Social Policy developed a series of videos titled “Pipeline Profiles.” This video is the third in its series and highlights the work that Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood is doing to leverage its community partnerships into strategies that prepare young people for college and career success!

To illustrate the impact of the Promise Neighborhoods program's cradle-to-career approach, the U.S. Department of Education and the Center for the Study of Social Policy, developed a series of videos titled “Pipeline Profiles.” This video is the first in its series and highlights some of the work that the Berea College Promise Neighborhood is doing to create a strong early childhood segment of their cradle-to-career pipeline.