Zone 126

Zone 126 is a nonprofit organization driving community transformation for children and families in Astoria and Long Island City’s concentrated pockets of poverty in zip codes 11101, 11102, and 11106. Using a Collective Impact framework, Zone 126 works to break the cycle of poverty from cradle to career. The Problem More than 20,000 families are living in concentrated pockets of poverty in Astoria and Long Island City. Over 8,000 are children. Our children are living in generational poverty facing multiple environmental, social, and physical barriers to academic success. These children attend ten K-12th schools which are not only lacking the necessary resources to combat these barriers, but individual organizations have not had success in increasing academic achievement. Zone 126, as the backbone organization in a Collective Impact framework, coordinates a cross-sector effort with community organizations, public agencies, and private supporters who together provide the necessary programs for academic support, enrichment, health, nutrition, parent education, and youth development. We are coordinating improvements at every stage of a child’s life, from cradle to career. Local and national research-based programs operate in each of the ten schools within our Zone. Zone 126 also acts as the evaluator of the short-, mid-, and long-term impact of these programs and services on the academic achievement and socio-emotional gains of participating children and families. Every child can succeed with consistent, effective programs. Comprehensive cradle to career services are fundamental to ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty. www.zone126queens.org