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While South Florida is often referred to as “paradise,” there are critical statistics that paint a different picture for thousands of children and families.

Recent data reveal that there were over 6,027 homeless children in Broward County during the 2023-2024 year. The community has also noted chronic student absenteeism, mental health issues, poor nutrition, and lack of high-quality early learning programs. For many, these challenges make escaping the cycle of poverty very difficult and lead to low educational attainment.

The United States Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Education Programs’ Promise Neighborhoods program enables researchers, neighborhood communities, and community organizations to join forces in helping this challenged population achieve the social mobility necessary for higher education, fulfilling careers, and robust communities.

Promise Neighborhoods links resources, talents and the creativity of communities to address the needs of children from cradle to career, enabling them to reach their highest potential and become productive members of a thriving community. Nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, or Indian/Native American Tribes that receive U.S. Department of Education’s 5-year implementation grants serve as backbone organizations to anchor the Promise Neighborhood in a community. Grantees and community partners build a Promise Neighborhood as unique as the community itself.

Florida Atlantic University was selected to serve as the backbone organization for Broward County, Fla. as the recipient of the BrowardUP Promise Neighborhoods Program Award # S215N210041-22.

The BrowardUP Promise Neighborhoods program links Florida Atlantic with the following organizations:

  • The School Board of Broward County
  • Broward College
  • Children Services Council of Broward
  • Community Foundation of Broward

BrowardUP is based on “solution pipelines” to foster the long-term success of children and youth in distressed communities. This multiagency strategy addresses struggling schools, high unemployment, inaccessible housing, persistent crime, and other problems resulting from systematically under-resourced neighborhoods.

The five BrowardUP Pipeline Blocks support children from cradle to career:

  • Early Care and Kindergarten Readiness
  • K-12 Success
  • High School Transition to College and Completion
  • 21st Century Workforce
  • Mobilizing BrowardUP Communities