Founded in 2011, Zone 126 uses collective impact to increase student achievement and make strong connections between home, school, and work to break the cycle of poverty. More than 20,000 families are living in concentrated pockets of poverty in Astoria and Long Island City. Over 8,000 are children. A child living in poverty faces multiple environmental, social, and physical barriers to academic success. Zone 126 exists to break down those barriers. Its overarching goal is for every child to graduate from high school prepared for college, and enter the workforce equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a 21st century world.