Jury members convening on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman announced Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, as this year’s recipient of the Brock International Prize in Education. The award is given annually to recognize an individual for innovative and effective ideas in education resulting in a significant impact on the practice or understanding of the field of education. Since 1990, Canada has been president and chief executive officer for Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) which the New York Times Magazine called “One of the most ambitious social experiments of our time.” Under his leadership, HCZ has committed to doing “whatever it takes” to build an infrastructure of support and structure around the children who live in this blighted area so they can benefit from a quality education.
HCZ serves 10,000 children from poverty at 20 sites within 100 blocks, combining education, social and medical services. Three separate programs comprise HCZ. Baby College is parent education designed in collaboration with noted pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton. Harlem Gems focuses on all-day preschool education while Promise Academy serves children age kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition, Harlem Pacemakers trains 18-24 years-olds to run after-school and summer programs, provides violence prevention and academic support.
“The Brock Prize is one of the largest and most important prizes in education in the world,” said Trent Gabert, Ph.D., chair of the Brock Prize executive committee and associate dean of the OU College of Liberal Studies. “Its recipients, like Geoffrey Canada, have made significant contributions to the field of education, and we are honored to recognize such outstanding achievements.”
The recipient was chosen by a six-member jury, which is comprised of public school officials, university officers, meritorious professors and government officials, all of whom are committed to excellence in education. Each member of the jury nominates one potential laureate. Then the jury meets on the OU campus to discuss the merits of each nominee and select the laureate for the following year.
The Brock Laureate receives a $40,000 cash award, certificate and bust of Sequoyah during the Brock Symposium for Excellence in Education, where the laureate serves as the keynote speaker. This year’s event will be held March 25, 2010, at Oklahoma State University. The symposium, hosted by Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa, seeks to shine a light on notable accomplishments in the field of education and then to use those accomplishments as a springboard for communicating educational excellence to practitioners, parents, researchers, administrators and political leaders.
The Brock International Prize in Education is made possible from a gift by John A. Brock and Donnie V. Brock of Tulsa, Okla., and is administered by Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma and University of Tulsa.
