December 11, 2008
9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Central Time

To attend in person in Chicago, register at
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/222598799

The University of Chicago Gleacher Center
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive

To listen to a live audio webcast or a recording, register at
http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=53697
 
Panelists include:

• Robert Chaskin, Chapin Hall research fellow and associate professor, School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago
• Ajay Chaudry, director of the Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, the Urban Institute
• Craig Howard, director of community and economic development, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Celena Roldan, director of child care, Erie Neighborhood  House
• Matthew Stagner, executive director, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago (moderator)
  

Soon after the new administration begins governing in January, it is expected to propose an ambitious, multipronged urban policy that includes both housing and community-development activities, and the establishment of "Promise Neighborhoods" that provide networks of community-based diversified services for low-income children and youth. Do these two approaches run on parallel tracks, or can they be interwoven so they more effectively stem the cycle of concentrated, intergenerational poverty?  
 
Please join us in exploring how initiatives that integrate services for high-need young people can complement the kind of comprehensive neighborhood development work now being enacted in Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Detroit, and other cities. Panelists will discuss lessons learned from established community-building initiatives, as well as the research agenda that is still needed to strengthen new and continuing efforts. Speakers will examine models of place-based integrative services and analyze how such initiatives can best help young people living in poverty and improve their academic achievement. The role of federal urban policy and programs for children, youth, and families will also be discussed.

The event is free. We will post a recording of the event on our websites for those who cannot attend.

To join the webcast, you need a computer with a high-speed Internet connection. The audio for the webcast is available over the Internet only (no telephone connections).

Resources:
- Bios (pdf)
- An Evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Neighborhood and Family Initiative (link)
- Erie Neighborhood House brief (pdf)