New nonprofit to focus on developing countries

PROVIDENCE – Shawn Rubin, a kindergarten teacher at CVS Highlander School, and his wife, Laura Westberg, have founded a nonprofit organization called Longitude to “empower visionary leaders of grassroots educational and human rights initiatives in developing countries by providing much-needed resources, volunteers and support services.”
The group raises funds locally and donates 100 percent of the money raised to PROFESA, a program in Ghana that teaches young adults English, typing, shorthand and business administration skills and prepares them for a national certification exam, and to the Association of Relief Volunteers, a nonprofit that provides resources for the Dalit (untouchable) caste in India and exposes human rights violations.
Longitude’s donations to PROFESA have already paid off, Rubin said in a news release, supporting the purchase of “desperately needed computers and books” and a move to a new facility.