 In 1965, under a federal Higher Education Act grant, the Pratt Center launched a participant education program to assist and train local residents in the process of community development.This was followed by a series of leadership training courses and the Pratt Center's sponsorship of the Central Brooklyn Neighborhood College.Administered by community residents, this University of the Streets program was targeted primarily to African—Americans and Latinos who had either dropped out of high school or lacked access to higher education.