Geoffrey Canada is a Black man on a mission. Geoffrey is the President and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York. The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is a nonprofit organization “that works to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City’s most devastated neighborhoods”. The organization serves a 60-block area in Central Harlem and provides a holistic array of programs to strengthen the entire family, such as structured education centers, a free health clinic, parenting workshops, employment training, college preparation, financial literacy, technology classes, and foster care prevention.
Geoffrey’s work with the HCZ is the reason I wake up each day to go to my nonprofit job. It’s nonprofit success stories like his that put everything into perspective. As a nonprofit leader of color, Geoffrey shows us that we can save our own communities, even when situations seem hopeless. The HCZ continues to be an inspiring example of how ordinary people can change the world. And I’m not the only one being inspired. This week Geoffrey sat down and told Oprah, “we’ve got to save kids by the thousands.” And he is. This year, Harlem Children’s Zone will serve over 10,000 children in Central Harlem.
More about Geoffrey Canada:
Mr. Canada, who grew up in the South Bronx, has dedicated his life to helping children who grew up in conditions similar to those faced by his family secure both educational and economic opportunities. Mr. Canada holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bowdoin College and a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Before joining the Harlem Children’s Zone, he served as Director of the Robert White School, a private day school for troubled inner city youth in Boston.
Mr. Canada is also the East Coast Regional Coordinator for the Black Community Crusade for Children. The Crusade is a nationwide effort to make saving Black children the number one priority in the Black community. This initiative is being coordinated by Marian Wright Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund.
He has won numerous awards, including: the McGraw Prize for Education, the Robin Hood Foundation’s Heroes of the Year Award, Child Magazine’s “Children’s Champion” award, the Spirit of the City Award from the Cathedral of St. Johns the Divine, Bowdoin College’s Common Good Award and New York University’s Brennan Legacy Award. Mr. Canada is married and the father of four children.
