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2000 Best Practice Awards
Program and Geographical Winners: Alabama
Best Practice: Cultural Arts-Huntsville Housing
Authority
Offering Cultural Experiences to Youth
Huntsville.
Al Harris had a vision to offer cultural experiences in art, music and drama
to the youth who live in the citys public housing communities, in
particular the youth at the Sparkman Homes Apartments. His plan was to help
the young people develop a positive concept of the world through cultural
experiences. Using the Oscar Mason Community Center in Huntsville, Mr. Harris
formed a partnership with five institutions of higher learning (Alabama
A&M University, Oakwood College, University of Alabama in Huntsville,
J.F. Drake Technical College and John C. Calhoun Community College), the
U.S. Department of Education, the Alabama State Council on Arts, and private
foundations and contributors. Under the partnership agreement, the Huntsville
Housing Authority provides building space, staff, utilities, and custodial
and maintenance services. The schools, in turn, provide training to the
youth in ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture, music, drama, storytelling
and set design for plays and musical presentations. A total of 5,325 youth
have experienced classes or received complimentary tickets to events with
the assistance of Community Development Block Grants and U.S. Department
of Education funds, the community, and private foundations.
Contact: T. Al Harris Jr., Phone: (256) 539-0774
Tracking Number: 485
Winning Category: Program (Public and Indian Housing)
Best Practice: Clinton L. Johnson Economic Development
Center
Building The Clinton L. Johnson Economic
Development Center
Mobile.
The Mobile Housing Board, Mobile, Ala., used its $1 million Economic Development
and Supportive Services Grant to partner with the private sector to construct
the Clinton L. Johnson Economic Development Center. The center provides
training and employment opportunities for individuals living in public housing.
The centers mission is to provide low- to moderate-income residents
with tools that enable them to become self-sufficient and substantially
improve their qualify of life. There are three components to the program:
adult basic education, life skills training, and business development. The
center also offers support services, including roundtrip transportation
and on-site child daycare. The program's major partner, the Dollar General
Corporation, provides on-the-job retail training that leads to a paid position
with the on-site Dollar General Store. There are 43 participants enrolled
in the program and 17 of them are public housing residents. All employees
of the Dollar General Store are trained staff from the economic development
center. This economic development endeavor is a result of a partnership
of local businesses, universities and colleges, and government agencies.
Contact: Gregory Stevens, Phone: (334) 434-2202
Tracking Number: 1703
Winning Category: Geographical
Best Practice: Bright Beginnings Preschool
Preschool Gives Public Housing Children
a Bright Beginning
Andalusia. Martha
Carter, executive director of the Andalusia Housing Authority, a 120-unit
public housing authority in southern Alabama, created a "bright beginning"
to assist the public housing children who could not afford to attend private
preschools. With assistance from the local school board, she established
a preschool and procured a teacher for one year for 17 children. The Alabama
Department of Human Resources and the JOBS Program volunteered their time,
working with the housing authority to insure the success of the program.
The preschool is a nonprofit school for 3- and 4-year-old children who live
in the Andalusia Housing Authority properties. The program emphasizes speech
and language skills, socialization skills, and age appropriate school-readiness
skills to prepare children for the regular classroom. The long-term goals
are to reduce aggressive behaviors and school failure when the children
enter kindergarten and elementary school. Since the first graduation in
1991, 153 children have participated in the preschool program and 100 children
have graduated.
Contact: Martha Carter, Phone: (334) 222-5871
Tracking Number: 1282
Winning Category: Program (Public and Indian Housing)
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Content Archived: April 20, 2011 |