Inspiring Minds works to put students ahead

nonprofits
nonprofits

Walk into a Providence elementary school, and you could find someone in a business suit reciting verse about “green eggs and ham.”
It’s the work of Inspiring Minds, a half-century-old nonprofit that’s taken on the mission of improving the classroom performance of city students. Its Power Lunch Reading Program encourages workers to spend an occasional lunch break reading aloud to kids.
“We mobilize a vast number of Rhode Islanders to get involved with our schools,” says Eleanor Acton, the organization’s director of development. “They’re college education majors, high school students, retirees, lawyers, businesspeople.”
The group was known as Lippitt Hill Tutorial when it was first formed back in 1963. Eventually it merged with a similar program, Mount Pleasant Tutorial, and became known as Volunteers in Providence Schools. In 2010, the name changed again, to Inspiring Minds.
Today the program is known for its innovative tutoring that involves over a thousand volunteers.
The Read By Three Targeted Tutoring initiative is aimed at children who’ve had little pre-school experience. Before they enter kindergarten, the 5-year-olds are enrolled in a rigorous summer program that gives them 100 hours of instruction over five weeks’ time.
There’s one tutor for every three students. The lessons are developed by education professionals, but the tutors are all volunteers, often college education majors. The extra support continues through third grade.
“We don’t let these students fall back when school begins,” Acton said. “One or two times a week we provide extensive tutoring right in the classroom. Tutors will sit with the kids in class, and sometimes they’ll take them to the side or out to the hall so as not to interrupt others. … Kids love the one-to-one attention. It motivates them.”
A new program brings parents into the schools to share lunch with their children. During the meal, the parents get information on how they can support their child’s learning.
“Not everyone knows exactly what they should be doing to support their child,” Acton said. “This is a wonderful opportunity.”
For high schoolers, there’s the Tech Center, an after-school program with an emphasis on so-called STEM skills, those involving science, technology, engineering and math. There are also field trips to area businesses and colleges, including WJAR-TV NBC 10, Gilbane, UnitedHealthcare, Brown and MIT.
The Inspiring Minds staff is constantly evaluating the program’s effectiveness. “Close assessment ensures the program is flexible,” Acton said. “If we see that something really works, we can ramp it up. It’s important to be nimble and quick. Kids don’t have time to wait if they’re going to stay on track for graduation.”
The result: much quicker reading proficiency in the early grades, and 100 percent of seniors attending Tech Center programs graduate.
“The program is the best of its kind in Rhode Island,” Acton said. “At some point, we’re going to expand beyond Providence.”

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