Parramore Kidz Zone

PKZ Baby Institute, modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone Baby College, is a nine week program for parents of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Offered by the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Baby Institute classes focus on brain development, positive discipline and community pride, with the goal of helping parents be their child’s first teacher.

Community Coordinated Care for Children offers child care subsidies to Parramore families raising infants, toddlers and preschoolers, so they’re able to attend pre-kindergarten programs free of charge at high quality early learning sites in and around the neighborhood.

The Rosen Preschool offers a year round, full day, high-quality preschool program with capacity for 288 children ages two to four, free of charge for all children residing in Parramore.

City of Orlando Student Advocates, based at elementary, middle and high schools attended by Parramore students, offer mentorship, academic support (test prep, advisement, etc.), advocacy, regular meetings, monitoring of attendance and grades, and support to ensure students stay on track for graduation, scholarships, college tours, educational, cultural and regional field trips.

Post-Secondary Advocates offer assistance with college applications and essays, assistance with scholarship applications and essays, FAFSA assistance, financial literacy training and support, academic advisement, dorm set-up, help for families of first-generation college students in understanding how things work, and all the support Parramore youth need to enroll in college and persist through graduation.

Urban Think! Foundation Page 15 offers programs for Pararmore youth aimed at improving literacy, encouraging creative expression, and inspiring a lifelong passion for language arts. One example is Young Writers Society wherein youth express their creativity through storytelling, poetry and other creative writing projects.

• The City of Orlando’s Recreation Division offers competitive sports programs for elementary and middle school-aged children in Parramore.
• Orange Blossom Family Health offers primary medical care, oral health services, behavioral health and substance use services at 2 locations in the Zone, including a pediatric health center, Orange Blossom Pediatrics, at the OCPS ACE School.
• Champions Lab Training is aimed to give Parramore children and youth in weekly fitness activities. The program features a range of sports and fitness activities, promoting overall health and well-being.

Two City of Orlando neighborhood centers – the John H. Jackson Neighborhood Center and the Dr. J. B. Callahan Neighborhood Center - offer high-quality after-school programs for elementary and middle schools students that combine fun and learning. Students can participate in supervised recreational activities, homework assistance and enrichment activities like garden club, Mayor Buddy’s Book Club and performing arts programs.

The Orlando Community & Youth Trust offers a Youth Employment program, include job training, soft skills training, job placement and monitoring, internships, apprenticeships, help with resumes and interview skills training.

Youth Entrepreneurship skills are offered through the Orlando Community & Youth Trust’s Black Bee Honey program, wherein students learn business skills including sales, marketing, accounting, government interaction, permitting, inspections, food handling certification, networking, time-management, problem solving, leadership and partnership with local organizations. Students also learn the skill of Beekeeping and the manufacturing of honey.

New Image Youth Center offers a comprehensive daily, year round program to youth from Kindergarten through college focused on academic achievement, health & wellness, life skills development, crisis intervention and social justice. Services include tutoring, after-school homework help, STEM activities, college/post-secondary preparation, researched-based therapeutic sessions to help students learn developmentally appropriate skills for stress, anger management, coping mechanisms and positive communication, management of an on-site garden, nutrition/cooking and exercise classes, crisis support services and education to promote equity, racial and environmental justice.

The Nature and Environmental Sustainability Program is a comprehensive initiative that aims to educate and engage youth in environmental awareness and sustainability practices. The program included a variety of activities such as field trips to solar farms, wind farms, recycling facilities, costal beaches, camping in the woods, wildlife tours, and fishing trips. It also incorporated interactive sessions to teach about global warming, its causes, and strategies to mitigate it. 

• Social-Emotional support for students and families 

• Community support including access to food banks, shelters, referrals to community programs and emergency financial resources to prevent evictions and utility shut-offs