Bridging Opportunity in Rural California: Klamath River and Corning Promise Neighborhoods

The California Promise Neighborhood Network (CPNN) is transforming communities across the state by addressing long-standing disparities in education, health, and economic stability. Among its diverse portfolio, two rural Promise Neighborhoods stand out: Klamath River Promise and Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise) Neighborhoods. These initiatives bring the nationally recognized Promise Neighborhood model to underserved rural regions, offering truly unique place-based strategies to improve outcomes for children and families.

Klamath River Promise Neighborhood

Klamath River Promise Neighborhood, rooted in Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties, works to improve education and career outcomes for youth in one of California’s most remote regions. The initiative emphasizes early literacy programs, college readiness, and workforce development, ensuring that students—particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds—have equitable opportunities to thrive. A notable achievement is the Klamath River Early Learning Initiative, which has expanded preschool access and introduced culturally relevant curricula to support Native learners.

Additionally, the Promise Neighborhood has focused on mental health support, recognizing the impact of historical trauma on Indigenous youth. By integrating mental health services into schools and offering trauma-informed care, Klamath Promise is paving the way for healthier, more resilient communities.

Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise Neighborhood)

The Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise Neighborhood), in collaboration with patterning organizations, have made remarkable progress in improving student outcomes and overcoming systemic barriers to educational success in rural California. Led by local schools and community partners, Corning Promise provides a continuum of solutions, including supporting positive parenting programs, recreation activities, attendance improvement initiatives, no-cost school-based therapy services, rural service integration, Career Technical Education (CTE) optimization, and other solutions that are creating conditions for children to success. Data from the state’s web-based data reporting system shows the partnering high school district has maintained its high school graduation rates at 94% for two consecutive years. One of Corning Promise’s standout initiative, investment is a district initiative focused on optimizing existing career technical education (CTE) pathways, which is helping high school students prepare for postsecondary education and vocational opportunities. The project is focused focused on system alignment through articulation of courses with colleges, building capacity of educators, increasing learning opportunities through work-based learning and job shadow days and engaging in activities leading to economic mobility and educational success.

How the Promise Neighborhood Model Works for Rural Communities

Rural communities face unique challenges, but they also have unique strengths. While access to services, healthcare, and economic opportunities can be a challenge, rural communities know how to build dynamic systems of support across with limited resources across vast geographical areas. The Promise Neighborhood model is particularly effective because it fosters cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that tribal governments, schools, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and community organizations work in tandem to provide programs and wraparound services for children and families. In places like Klamath River and Corning, this model serves as a lifeline for long-term community transformation.

A Future Built on Community Strength

Both Corning Promise and Klamath River Promise Neighborhood demonstrate how place-based, community-driven strategies can create lasting change in rural areas. By leveraging local leadership and resources, and delivering tailored support systems, these initiatives are not only improving individual outcomes, but ensuring stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come.

CPNN commits to highlighting the remarkable work and wisdom of California’s rural Promise Neighborhoods. Stay connected to learn more about Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise) and Klamath Promise Neighborhoods.

Transformative Collaboration: An Introduction to CPNN's Communities of Practice (CoP) Model

Over the last few years, the California Promise Neighborhood Network (CPNN) has pioneered an innovative approach to community transformation through its Communities of Practice (CoP) model. This unique framework has become a cornerstone to CPNN’s success, proving that diverse collaboration and transparency is a model that works for Promise Neighborhoods.

CPNN is an initiative aimed at supporting communities in their efforts to improve education outcomes and address systemic challenges. Each of the six Promise Neighborhoods of CPNN (Mission, Hayward, Corning, San Diego, Chula Vista, and Klamath River) have a unique set of organizational partners, approaches, and resources to address the needs of their unique communities. 

CPNN’s CoP model is a robust collaborative structure that allows neighborhoods at different stages of development to learn from one another while implementing tailored solutions. The network's Communities of Practice focus on three (3) critical areas: Chronic Absenteeism, College Retention, and Family Engagement & Partner Alignment. Each community consists of practitioners and experts from one of the six California Promise Neighborhoods. All come together intentionally to share resources and expertise, act as thought partners through each of their neighborhood’s toughest challenges, and build sustainability for the statewide network. The leaders embedded in these neighborhoods—from school administrators to community organizers—bring vital local knowledge that, when combined with CPNN's structured support, creates powerful momentum for change.

"You're working with people. It's not static. It's a constant development of learning, how to adapt. That's what makes CPNN different. We are intentionally putting resources, and time towards making a difference across communities," explains Dr. Iris Zuniga, one of the CPNN Consultants supporting theCoP model. “What makes this model particularly effective is its recognition that each promise neighborhood is at a different level of the work. Ten years of investment versus a few years make a difference. By creating spaces where established neighborhoods can share their hard-earned wisdom while newer initiatives bring fresh perspectives, CPNN fosters an ecosystem of continuous improvement and mutual support.”

The impact of this approach was evident during the CPNN San Diego convening last October, where neighborhoods engaged in a gallery walk to review program strategies and data sets from each community. This collaborative experience allowed participants to identify blind spots, provide feedback, and refine their strategies through collective wisdom.

CPNN's CoP model represents not only a framework for collaboration, but a testament to what's possible when communities come together with a shared purpose and vision. Best practices emerge across focus areas. Concrete action commitments are made by participating neighborhoods— from Hayward Promise’s deep focus on reducing chronic absenteeism, to Corning Promise's approach to prioritizing mental health for young people— these communities implement evidence-based strategies, adapting them to their unique contexts, all while building impact and sustainability.  

“These practices represent the culmination of shared learning and collaboration.” explains Dr. Zuniga, “By leveraging collective wisdom and sharing the burden of problem-solving, neighborhoods can maximize their opportunity as a true Network.”

 Learn more about CPNN’s Communities of Practice work, including their launch of a new CoP Toolkit later this year, by subscribing to CPNN’s newsletter and following CPNN on LinkedIn and X.

December 2024 Newsletter

Read here.

Promise Neighborhood Leaders Gather in Hayward, CA: Showcasing the Vision of an Inspiring ‘Education City’

Back in April, the California Promise Neighborhood Network welcomed guests from all over the country for their annual convening. This year’s gathering took place in Hayward, CA, located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. Hosted by the Hayward Promise Neighborhood (HPN), one of six California Promise Neighborhoods, the event was a beaming reflection of the history of bold leadership and innovative success that has permeated the State since the beginning of the 2012 Promise Neighborhood movement in California. 

Inspired by Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone, the Promise Neighborhood movement aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing wraparound support services to children and families living in distressed communities. These initiatives recognize that education is not just about what happens within school walls, but is deeply intertwined with several social and economic factors. By addressing these systemic issues holistically, Promise Neighborhoods aims to create environments where every child can thrive.

On this special day, education advocates and community leaders across all of the State’s programs and folks from supporting agencies across the country proudly came together to meet each other and share insights, strategies, and success stories.

Hayward Promise Neighborhood leaders were enthusiastically poised to host this year, evident in the opening remarks from Mayor Mark Salinas and Edgar Chavez, HPN Executive Director. A beautiful story of multigenerational success from Julieta Martinez, HPN beneficiary and current outreach coordinator, and her daughter, Samantha Lopez Martinez, set the tone for a day of immersive gathering and storytelling. But it was the Mayor’s initial declaration of Hayward’s impressive track to becoming California's first Education City that had hosts like Chavez noticeably eager to show guests what being an “Education City” was all about.

What is an “Education City?”

At the core of this vision is the belief that cities that are home to every educational system - from preschool to higher education - should be able to work collectively with local government, businesses, community organizations, and families to ensure that every child has a seamless pathway from birth to career. The concept of an “Education City” is also a lens for all leaders to ensure that policies, practices, and priorities serve the purpose of building economic and educational opportunities for all community members. Promise Neighborhoods serve as a critical equity strategy for this concept by investing in the neighborhoods with the highest child poverty rates and ensuring that programs and resources reach the families they were designed to support.

Chavez describes several Key Pillars for how HPN supports the Education City Concept:

1. Comprehensive Support Services: Children cannot succeed academically if their basic needs are not met. Therefore, a range of support services, including healthcare, mental health counseling, housing assistance, and nutrition programs, reduce sources of stress in households and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

2. High-Quality Education: Central to the education city concept is the provision of high-quality education from early childhood through post-secondary education. HPN works closely with local schools to implement evidence-based practices, provide professional development for schools, and create enriching learning environments that meet students where they’re at, and inspire them to reach their full potential.

3. Community Engagement and Empowerment: HPN understands that sustainable change can only happen when communities are actively engaged in the process, which is why they prioritize community empowerment through initiatives such as community leadership initiatives, youth councils, and neighborhood revitalization projects that give residents a voice and tools in shaping their future and of their community.

4. Economic Development and Opportunity: An essential aspect of the education city concept is the creation of economic opportunities that uplift families and provide pathways out of poverty. HPN partners with the city and career technical education programs to engage local businesses and organizations to offer job training, entrepreneurship programs, and internship opportunities that equip students and residents with the skills and resources they need to succeed in the workforce.

A Commitment to Building Momentum: The History of Hayward Promise 

Since its inception in 2012 through California State University Hayward (now California State University, East Bay), HPN has made significant strides in improving educational outcomes and fostering community resilience. What started as a federally funded, place-based initiative in the Jackson Triangle Neighborhood, HPN monitored data on 15 indicators mandated under the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Over the course of the program, HPN leaders supported these “GPRA Indicators” through three partnership networks: Early Learning Network (ELN), Cradle-to-Career Education Reform Network (C2CERN), and Neighborhood Health and Empowerment Network (NHEN). Over time, HPN saw that its commitment to investing in these indicators was working, and the program expanded to serve more parts of the city. Over the last 14 years, kindergarten readiness, graduation, and college enrollment rates have increased, and families reported feeling more connected and supported. Despite the growth and success of HPN, leaders within the Network realized that challenges remain, including persistent poverty, inadequate funding, and additional systemic barriers.

Modeling the Hayward “Education City” Promise 

On the first day of the convening, several tours filled the schedule. The first stop at the Hayward Public Library was a room filled with educators, administrators, and community partners from HPN’s C2CERN. Focused conversation could be heard on topics such as innovative solutions to increasing attendance, and ideas on promoting pathways for college and career readiness. On full display was Hayward’s education ecosystem, engaged in powerful, and sometimes emotional conversations while deeply listening to each other’s perspectives and expertise. Evident was HPN’s commitment to collaboration and collective thought partnership with their educational experts.   

“I grew up with nothing, and now I just want to give what I have received to everyone else.”

Guests’ next stop was Brenkwitz High School, an alternative high school providing smaller class sizes, flexible scheduling, and a strong counseling program for 16 to18-year-olds. Perhaps the most convincing of HPN’s impact was hearing from Brenkwitz’s students themselves. In a panel, current students detailed stories of going from dismay and defeat, to curiosity and thriving in their education journeys. They discussed ways the school helped to build their lens on what was possible, and how opportunities and supportive mentors such as their school Principal, Dr. Beavers, and Student Success Coach, Michael Harris, showed them what they were capable of. One of the student panelists described how connection and intentional investments changed his viewpoint on his future: “I grew up with nothing, and now I just want to give what I have received to everyone else.”

The tour continued to an unassuming classroom at the back of the campus. Opening the door revealed a portal of possibilities, where tools and materials, including a series of 3D printers, a T-shirt press, and video equipment lined the room in stations. Projects, both finished and unfinished, sat displayed in a scattered but artful sequence. We learned of the esteemed Mr. Liu and his “Makers” space– what he describes on the door as an “incubator for innovation and entrepreneurship.” Here, students were able to explore the intersections of academics, creativity, and entrepreneurship, something many of the students described as what catalyzed their interests in their education.

The tour concluded with a panel of local Promotores and Family Navigators from Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center and Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of Alameda County. Moderated by Rosemary Vazquez, Family Engagement and Equity Specialist at Cherryland Elementary School, these women shared moving stories of how each bridged gaps between neighborhood families and the education system. They provided insights into a critical network of support through in-language check-ins and culturally informed access to services and resources that kept families healthy, going to school, and engaged in their children’s education. This look into the often invisible components of such a holistic operation was to understand that HPN was highly intentional of the unique needs of its beloved families and students.

“Transformative education, the center of HPN’s vision, was more than possible.”

The tour ended with a beautiful summation of HPN’s collaborative values– a panel of city education leaders, including Cal State East Bay President Cathy Sandeen; City of Hayward Mayor, Mark Salinas; 4Cs Executive Director, Renee Herzfeld; Hayward Unified Superintendent Dr. Jason Reimann; and Chabot College Vice President of Student Services, Matthew Kritscher. Each highlighted their collaborative roles and how their institutions planned to continue to support HPN’s vision around education. A most valuable message amongst the group was that “collaboration is alignment and not competition,” and this is vital to the success of advancing HPN’s vision.

Worthwhile Investment

A mesmerizing sunset over the back of California State East Bay’s campus saw departing guests off after an afternoon of reception festivities and networking. A parting message for all, including those visiting from one of CPNN’s other five Promise Neighborhoods:

However, a more implicit message gleaned from the day: “How do we continue to support and sustain this success?” For other leaders, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropists, the experience as a first-hand witness to HPN’s grassroots movement was a call to action. All have a role in ensuring the CA Promise Neighborhood Network thrives for generations to come. Whether it is funding more Success Coaches, continuing education for teachers, or materials for school classrooms, securing long-term resources is paramount to the Promise Neighborhood movement, and something Network partners have more than proven is a worthwhile investment

Editor’s Note: In October, 2024, after the writing of this blog piece, Cal State East Bay, who is the lead collaborative partner for HPN, announced a new agreement with Hayward Unified and San Leandro Unified School Districts to automatically enroll qualified graduating students. You can read more about this here.