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Parramore Kidz Zone
What We Do
Cradle to Career Pipeline
 Infants, Toddlers and
Preschoolers:
Through partnerships with the
Early Learning Coalition of Orange County,
Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C),
Orange County Head Start, the
University of Central Florida,
Nap Ford Community School, and
child care providers, Parramore Kidz Zone aims to “move the
needle” on the percentage of Parramore children who are deemed to be
“ready for kindergarten” by the time they start school. One of the
services PKZ provides is child care subsidies so that Parramore’s
infants, toddlers and preschoolers are able to attend pre-kindergarten
programs free of charge at high quality early learning sites in and
around their neighborhood.
Required 4C Documentation
Also, in partnership with Orange County Head Start, PKZ doubled the
size of the Head Start program at the
Dr.
J. B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in the heart of Parramore.
Return to the Pipeline
 PKZ Baby Institute: PKZ offers a
Baby Institute for parents whose children are under 5 years old.
Modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone Baby College, the Institute is
a nine week intensive parenting program focusing on brain development,
positive discipline and community pride, with the goal of helping
parents be their child’s first teacher.
Baby Institute Program Application
Return to the Pipeline
 School-aged Children:
PKZ aims to improve the academic performance of school-aged children and
therefore has established Homework Roomz throughout the neighborhood
where youth receive free tutoring, access to computers, the internet,
and snacks. A few sites are
highlighted below:
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Urban Think! Foundation Page 15, a non-profit organization is
committed to improving youth literacy, encouraging creative
expression, and inspiring a lifelong passion for language arts. The
organization operates a Homework Room at the
Orlando Downtown Recreational Complex.
Page 15 Registration
Form
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Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center
and
John H. Jackson Community Center offer homework time, tutoring, free
after school and summer programs to Parramore children, including a
federal summer feeding program and, in partnership with the University
of Central Florida, an intensive reading program for elementary school
children staffed by Masters level College of Education students, offered
every Saturday during the school year and daily in the summer time.
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New Image Youth Center offers tutoring, recreational and
psychosocial programs, including dance classes; the planting and
harvesting of food in NIYC’s community garden; Saturday Night Jive dance
parties; monthly community service activities such as cooking and
serving the homeless; educational field trips and a Summer Career
program to teach the children about careers; trips to swimming, skating,
the movies, and sports events; and “psychosocial rehabilitation,”
including training in public speaking; peer mediation and group
counseling; advocacy skills so that children learn how to effectively
voice their opinions; discussions related to self worth and respect for
others; and ways to effectively deal with peer pressure.
In addition, PKZ operates specialized tutoring programs, including FCAT
Bootcamp, SAT training, and one-on-one tutoring in any subject.
Return to the Pipeline
 The Arts:
PKZ offers a wide range of arts and cultural opportunities for youth of
all ages. Here are examples of just a few:
- In partnership with the
University of Central Florida, Center for Research and Education in
Arts, Technology and Entertainment -
CREATE, the Digital U program, trains youth in digital storytelling techniques including digital
video, digital imagery and digital audio. Students learn to express
voice and identity using a blend of technical and creative elements
including collage, music, spoken word, movement, and performance,
culminating in the creation of a DVD of their digitally documented
story.
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Steinway Society of Central Florida
offers an after school piano program for Parramore youth. Weekly group
lessons last 45-minutes; students use electronic keyboards to
take home for practice; and “second life” pianos are donated to
neighborhood children.
- Parramore youth attend free classes at the
Orlando Pottery Studio, creating projects from pinch pots to
unique artwork for display, every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- The
Urban Think! Foundation’s Page 15
offers Slam Camp, a week-long poetry camp over spring break in which
high schoolers write, record, publish and perform their own poetry.
Students are given one-on-one studio time with a sound engineer and,
at the end of camp, take home not only a CD of their poem, but a
professionally designed book of the all campers’ poetry. Page 15 also
offers the Young Writers Camp each summer where students write,
illustrate and publish their very first novel with the help of
creative professionals in the field.
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Parramore League of Artistic
Youth (P.L.A.Y.) is a professional development program to nurture
young artists ages 10 - 18. P.L.A.Y. offers mentorship, training,
access to art materials and studio facilities. The program also
concentrates on mural design and advanced printmaking techniques.
Youth have opportunities to sell their artwork at venues such as
exhibitions, local art galleries, small businesses, local shopping
malls and public libraries, and they learn how to set up exhibitions,
including labeling and pricing their work.
Return to the Pipeline
Health and Wellness: PKZ offers a wide range of health
and wellness opportunities for youth ,
including comprehensive athletic programs, healthy after school snacks
at multiple sites, community gardens, referrals and support in receiving
health care services from local safety net health care providers, a teen
pregnancy prevention program using evidence-based curricula at 5
neighborhood sites, and free access to comprehensive reproductive
healthcare. In addition, one of PKZ’s partners,
Hebni Nutrition,
conducted a "food desert" study in Parramore documenting the lack of
access to fresh fruits and vegetables in the neighborhood. Hebni
offers the K.Y.D.S. Take Charge! after school and summer program to
elementary and middle school youth who are at-risk for overweight and
obesity. The program includes nutrition education, hands-on cooking
demonstrations, weekly tennis lessons and exercise classes, and regular
BMI (Body Mass Index) readings to monitor their progress.
Return to the Pipeline
 Older
and Disconnected Youth:
PKZ has relentlessly connected older youth to caring adult
mentors and coaches and invested in opportunities for them to
participate in positive youth development activities in the
neighborhood, such as:
- Educational and cultural experiences, including
field trips to historic and cultural destinations, community service
projects, and specialized training programs such as martial arts,
mural painting, and more.
Field Trip Form
- Three multi-component teen facilities that offer free
academic assistance, supervised hang out locations with computer,
television and video game access;
- "Open Gym" six days per week and Midnight Basketball
on Friday and Saturday nights at the
Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex.
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In partnership with Simeon Resource and Development Center for
Men, PKZ offers a Rites of Passage program for boys aged 12-17 years
and, for youth up to age 24, case management, mentoring, GED
classes, vocational education referrals and enrollment assistance,
health information and referrals, job placement assistance, and
transitional housing referrals.
 Return
to the Pipeline
College Access:
PKZ offers a college access program for Parramore youth,
including college tours, assistance with college and financial aid
applications, and the provision of scholarships to Parramore youth.
In addition, a group of young Parramore adults who are juniors and
seniors in high school or currently enrolled in college have
established a College Advisory Board (CAB) to advocate for Parramore
youth and plan and develop engaging activities to build their life
skills, improve their ability to solve problems, and create a united
community among PKZ youth.
Return to the Pipeline
Career:
PKZ operates a Youth Employment Program through which Parramore youth as
young as age 15 are able to obtain employability skills training and be
placed in jobs. Once employed, participating youth are offered
on-going support, including work-site mentoring, job coaching, retention
services, and job and wage progression assistance.
Back
on Track Employment Program Form
Return to the Pipeline
If you live in Parramore
fill out this
intake form to participate in the Parramore Kidz Zone
If interested in further information about Parramore Kidz Zone, please
contact the Parramore Kidz Zone Office at 407.292.6500 or visit us at 649
W. Livingston Street, Orlando, FL 32801
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