2000 Best Practice Awards

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 city’s 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 center’s 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)

Content Archived: April 20, 2011