Canal Promise Neighborhood
A partnership of residents, schools, nonprofits, businesses, and local government working together to ensure every child in the Canal is on a path to economic mobility and thrives from cradle to career.
About the Canal
The Canal is a vibrant neighborhood in San Rafael, home to a resilient Latino immigrant community that has shaped its culture and leadership.
At the same time, families here face some of Marin’s starkest inequities. Challenges such as overcrowded housing, economic stress, and fear of deportations affect more than daily life. They follow children into the classroom and influence how they show up at school, making it harder to learn and thrive.
Focus Areas
The Canal Promise Neighborhood planning process is focused on outcomes that residents and partners have identified as most important for lasting change in the Canal. Shifts in these areas would significantly strengthen the economic, social, and educational vitality of the neighborhood, making the biggest difference for children and families.
Early Learning & Literacy
Shared Goal: All children aged 0–5 will enter school ready to succeed and will be reading at grade level by 3rd grade.
College & Career Readiness
Shared Goal: All students will graduate high school well prepared for college, career, or job training, on a path to financial independence and a thriving future.
Who's Involved?
This is a resident-led, community-driven effort where residents and cross-sector partners work together to set priorities, shape strategies, and guide decisions.
Steering Committee
Leaders from education, government, health, housing, workforce, and nonprofits providing strategic direction and plan approval.
Steering Committee Partners
Consejo
Resident governance body co-approving the plan to ensure lived experience shapes decisions.
Learn more
Action Teams
Practitioners and residents co-designing strategies in early learning and college/career readiness.
Canal Residents
Engage through workshops, fairs, and community events to shape and validate strategies.
Backbone Partners
Marin Promise Partnership facilitates planning and strategy; Canal Alliance coordinates resident engagement and alignment.
Progress and Looking Ahead
The Steering Committee will work alongside Canal residents and Action Teams to develop a Canal Promise Neighborhood Investable Plan. This plan will direct resources toward high-impact strategies that improve educational outcomes, advance economic mobility, and strengthen neighborhood conditions for lasting change.
Spring 2025
Steering Committee formed and focus areas set.
Summer 2025
Residents engaged through community workshops.
Fall 2025
Action teams formed. Initial strategies co-developed using Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework.
Spring 2026
Cross-sector strategies refined and costed out.
Summer 2026
Draft version of investable plan shared for feedback.
Fall 2026
Final plan approved by Steering Committee and Consejo. Fundraising begins.
2027-Onward
Implementation phase.