Putting Kids First: Geoffrey Canada Challenges Poughkeepsie to "Change History"

April 9, 2025 - On Wednesday evening, education visionary Geoffrey Canada brought his passion and decades of experience to Morse Elementary School, challenging Poughkeepsie to seize "your moment to change history" in the fight against intergenerational poverty.

The event, titled "Putting Kids First: Unlocking the Promise of Poughkeepsie," drew approximately 200 community members, families, and education leaders to hear from Canada, founder of the Harlem Children's Zone and the William Julius Wilson Institute. The evening also featured remarks from New York Board of Regents Chancellor Dr. Lester Young, Mayor Yvonne Flowers, and Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet Executive Director Jill Gomez.

Geoff Canada poses with students during the Welcome Reception at Keepsake at The Academy.

Canada, who came out of retirement to continue his mission of breaking cycles of poverty, spoke with unwavering conviction about the urgency of the work. "I'm at war and I plan to win. I don't plan to lose this thing," he told the audience. "There's too much at stake for me to lose." Dr. Young praised the Cabinet as a model that could be replicated across New York's 733 school districts, calling its vision "bold." He noted that traditional education systems are often "designed to keep everyone where they are," while the Cabinet's cradle-to-career approach focuses on what happens next for students beyond graduation.

The Cabinet's work, heavily influenced by Canada's Harlem Children's Zone model, aims to connect more than 5,000 city youth and their families each year with transformative opportunities by 2033. The partnership with the William Julius Wilson Institute has supported professional development for Poughkeepsie leaders and the creation of the Cabinet's 10-year strategic plan.

Mayor Flowers introduced Canada by emphasizing his alignment with Poughkeepsie's vision: "He not only brings solutions to conversations we have with our youth but he also brings those questions that we need to ask ourselves to ensure that we're effective in our own efforts."

Canada shared his own story of growing up in the South Bronx, noting that none of his childhood friends are still alive. "Understand, poverty is a killer," he said. "When I tell you this is a war, I'm not kidding." He emphasized that communities must take ownership of their children's futures, stating bluntly: "If you want to save your children, you save your own children."

Drawing on the success of the Harlem Children's Zone, which currently has 980 students in college and has graduated over 2,000 with college degrees, Canada affirmed that the model works when communities commit to it. "This thing works. But, you've got to be prepared to work it," he said.

Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet Executive Director Jill Gomez reflected on first hearing Canada speak in 2007: "Geoff Canada was the first person I heard who wore his unwavering belief in the limitlessness of children on the outside. He had no room for doubt."

The evening concluded with a Q&A session featuring Canada, Gomez, and Cabinet co-founder Rob Watson Jr., during which students and community members asked questions about the path forward. Canada left the audience with a powerful challenge: "This is your moment to change history in this city and in this country. You can do what no one's done."

Watch the video below to experience Geoffrey Canada's inspiring message and learn about the shared vision for Poughkeepsie's children.