Wilder gets grant to raise achievement in St. Paul neighborhoods

A coalition is getting a half-million-dollar grant to coordinate services in two distressed St. Paul neighborhoods, in hopes of raising student achievement.

The Wilder Foundation will work with city, school and other officials, along with residents across 250 blocks in the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods.

The aim is to bring together services to provide comprehensive support for children in hopes of raising their achievement at school.

Wilder was the only Minnesota-based group to get the grant through the federal "Promise Neighborhood" program. The idea is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, where higher test scores have been reported.

The grants will only fund planning this year, including community meetings that start this week.

Congress has not yet approved funding to execute the plans that will be formed this year; the White House has requested $210 million for that.

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