Five Questions With: Kaitlin Della Grotta

Kaitlin Della Grotta is the executive director for Providence-based education nonprofit Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education. Della Grotta, who first started with RISE in 2012, was recently named the organization’s new director.

Della Grotta spoke with Providence Business News about how RISE navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and what plans she has for the organization moving forward.

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PBN: How much has RISE grown over the last few years to support local education initiatives?

DELLA GROTTA: Over the last five years, we have grown our scholarship program by 29%. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to send more students to private schools than ever before. Despite the pandemic, we knew our work to address disparities and social inequities was more important than ever.

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Last summer, RISE hosted its first ever coding camp through The Coder School at the CIC Center in Providence. Over the course of five days, students learned how to code and were introduced to several different concepts and languages such as Scratch, HTML, Python and Robotics. On the final day of the camp, students attended a career panel and presented their final projects. The needs of our students and families continuously evolve and RISE must innovate to meet their needs.

PBN: How has RISE navigated through and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic to keep its programming going?

DELLA GROTTA: During the COVID-19 pandemic, RISE pivoted to support our students remotely. Staff kept in contact with students and their families weekly and provided additional support when necessary. During the early days of the pandemic, our donors provided much needed funds that helped us provide gift cards and other monetary support to our families while they awaited more support from the government.

We were also awarded several grants that funded our Emergency Needs Fund. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for RISE to provide more-robust programs for our students.

We recognized that we must support our students’ mental health, not just their academic health, and partnered with Tenth Gate Center for Yoga and Meditation to provide students with a stress reduction and mindfulness class. The class, aptly named Tools For Today & Tomorrow, taught our students how to use breathing techniques and mindfulness to help ease the stress and pressures that … [they] encounter in their school day and beyond.

PBN: What are your plans for the organization as its new executive director?

DELLA GROTTA: Our scholarship and mentoring programs will always be the cornerstone of the services we provide for the children of incarcerated parents. As we enter our 25th year, it is important to evolve and provide more opportunities to become more well-rounded.

In the coming months, RISE plans to add more empowerment programs in finance, health, and wellness to the RISE platform and to continue to build the scholarship and mentoring programs. These programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged students.

PBN: RISE is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. What plans does the organization have to commemorate the year?

DELLA GROTTA: On May 12, RISE will celebrate our 25th anniversary by honoring our founders and community partners for their support in ensuring the success of the children of incarcerated parents at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center.

We are also holding a Ride for RISE indoor cycling event at Rev’d Cycling in Providence on April 23. All proceeds will benefit our programs.

PBN: What kind of support does RISE offer for children whose parents are incarcerated?

DELLA GROTTA: RISE has two main programs for the children of incarcerated parents: a scholarship program that provides financial support to private or parochial high school in Rhode Island, and mentoring programs provide adult mentors to children ages 7-14. We also provide SAT prep, tutoring and other enrichment activities throughout the year.

With our Scholarship Program, RISE identified essential schools as those that have a school small size, strong principal leadership and autonomous governance, mission-driven with commitment to character and community, focus on academic fundamentals, high expectations and frequent monitoring, and a safe, orderly environment.

It is important to remember the disruptive circumstances our students face, including exposure to violence, addiction and other challenges that can negatively impact learning and growth. Investing in these young people at this critical time is one of the best ways to improve their lives and the overall well-being of the community.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.