Providence Plan education program moves to RWU

A LEARNING program that has been part of The Providence Plan has found a new home at Roger Williams University.
A LEARNING program that has been part of The Providence Plan has found a new home at Roger Williams University.

BRISTOL – A learning program that has been part of The Providence Plan is moving to Roger Williams University.

Ready to Learn Providence, whose goal is to close the achievement gap for low-income students by working with family members and early-childhood educators, is becoming part of RWU’s School of Continuing Studies, based at the school’s Providence campus at 1 Empire St.

The program, which will continue to operate from its offices at 945 Westminster St., will be supported by grants from the R.I. Department of Education and Department of Human Services.

“I am delighted that Roger Williams University has been able to construct an arrangement that will allow the wonderful programs of Ready to Learn to continue serving families and communities with increasing need to have their children well-prepared to enter K-12 education, and to work on grade level. Our new partnership with Ready to Learn is just the most recent example of how RWU carries out its mission to ‘strengthen society’ and ‘to build the university the world needs now,’ ” RWU President Donald J. Farish said in a statement.

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According to information from RWU, Ready to Learn Providence has trained more than 3,500 center- and home-based educators who work in some of Providence’s most distressed neighborhoods, as well as in Pawtucket, Central Falls and other parts of the state.

Richard Spies, chair of The Providence Plan board, said the new partnership with the RWU School of Continuing Studies “has the potential to take the program to an even higher level of achievement and of service to the community.”

Said Leslie Gell, director of Ready to Learn Providence, “Ready to Learn Providence is thrilled to begin our next chapter as a part of the School of Continuing Studies at Roger Williams University. We will continue to serve the early care and education community with the same passion and commitment that we have for the past 14 years, now with RWU as a partner in the work. We are excited about both continuing many of our current projects and about creating new opportunities.”

The Providence Plan’s remaining programs, including YouthBuild, a hands-on program focusing on construction skills; Building Futures, a state-recognized industry partnership that helps Rhode Island residents prepare for a career in the building trades through apprenticeships; and DataSpark, which uses to data to inspire decision making, will continue to operate as usual, according to David Preston, spokesman for The Providence Plan.

Last month, the former Providence Plan finance director, Charles F. Denno, agreed to plead guilty to “devising and executing” a scheme in which he fraudulently converted more than $500,000 of Providence Plan funds for his own use.

Denno was fired from the nonprofit educational entity in July over the embezzlement allegations.

The Providence Plan receives federal, state and private grant funds to support educational and other programs for adults and children in Rhode Island.

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