Most promising inner-city/under-privileged youth education programs in US?

[gitfiddle]

I’m just wondering what the most promising programs are out there to give inner-city or under-privileged children a good education are?

Here are a couple that I’m familiar with:

Freedom Writers

Rafe Esquith

Once Upon a School
What I’m curious to know if what programs around the US show the most promise of taking children from “at risk” neighborhoods and giving them an education so that they will be less likely to turn to drugs, gangs, etc.

[Dewey_Finn]

If you want a GQ answer, you’ll need some way to measure and compare the various programs. In addition to the ones you named, take a look at:
“I Have A Dream” Foundation
Sesame Workshop (producers of the Sesame Street television show).

[gitfiddle]

@Dewey_Finn

If you want a GQ answer, you’ll need some way to measure and compare the various programs.

Not really, I don’t think. I’m just looking for these sorts of programs. I think I should have worded it differently in the title, though. I’m just looking to learn more about these sorts of programs, I’m not looking to debate which ones are the most promising.

I’m not looking for a “best of,” just a list of some interesting programs.

[gitfiddle]

That’s it?

[ZipperJJ]

There’s the Harlem Children’s Zone, which focuses on education as well as parenting and community building.

[gitfiddle]

@ZipperJJ

There’s the Harlem Children’s Zone, which focuses on education as well as parenting and community building.

Is that the one started by the lady who has a tragic story? (Vague, I know). There was a woman in Esquire’s “Genius Issue” last year who started an education program in Harlem.
Also, I forgot about the guy who Oprah gave $365,000 recently. He’s in ATL but he started in NY, I think.

[gitfiddle]

This is the one from Esquire. It’s called Harlem Village Academy.

[Lakai]

KIPP

Stands for Knowledge is Power Program. It is talked about in “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

Bill Gates also mentioned it in his TED Talk:

Now, there are a few places – very few – where great teachers are being made. A good example of one is a set of charter schools called KIPP. KIPP means Knowledge Is Power. It’s an unbelievable thing. They have 66 schools – mostly middle schools, some high schools – and what goes on is great teaching. They take the poorest kids, and over 96 percent of their high school graduates go to four-year colleges. And the whole spirit and attitude in those schools is very different than in the normal public schools. They’re team teaching. They’re constantly improving their teachers. They’re taking data, the test scores, and saying to a teacher, “Hey, you caused this amount of increase.” They’re deeply engaged in making teaching better.