Community Resources

RIDOH Shares Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Resources

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5-14, but high-quality swim lessons that include water safety skills can help keep kids safe.

The Violence and Injury Prevention Program at RIDOH has launched a campaign to help provide water safety and drowning prevention resources to RI families. These resources include scholarships for adaptive swim lessons for children with different abilities and diverse learning needs and access to free swim lessons for youth of color through Stages of Freedom. Visit Water Safety and Drowning Prevention | Department of Health to learn more.

AI & Data Science Camp @ Bryant University

AI & Data Science Camp @ Bryant University is a one-week enrichment program open to all high school–aged students, from rising freshmen through rising seniors. The camp introduces students to the fields of artificial intelligence, data science, and data visualization through engaging, hands-on experiences.

During the week, students will immerse themselves in the exciting world of technology through interactive activities designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Campers explore data visualization, analytics, and generative AI, including experiences with humanoid robots, VR headsets and exploration of turning ideas into concept alongside Bryant Universities Makers Space.

The camp will conclude with a celebratory showcase where guardians are invited to attend student presentations. The final day will also include a panel discussion titled “Career Opportunities and Educational Pathways for AI and DS” featuring leaders from academia and industry, offering students and families valuable perspectives on educational trajectories and career possibilities within the technology sector.

Date/Time: Monday, August 10, 2026 - Friday, August 14, 2026 | 9:00AM - 3:00PM

Program cost: $200* enrollment fee (due upon acceptance to program). *A limited number of need-based full and partial tuition scholarships are available.

Application deadline: June 25, 2026. Apply HERE. Link to camp flyer.

Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer

Summer is quickly approaching and Summer EBT (SEBT) benefits will be available. SEBT provides $120 per child for qualifying families to purchase healthy meals during the summer months. For more information, families are encouraged to visit SUN Bucks | RI Department of Human Services. Schools are asked to include this information in their family newsletters to ensure awareness of this important benefit. Families with students attending a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school that does not collect applications may apply using the SUN Bucks Application Form | RI Department of Human Services. The deadline to apply for Summer EBT is September 2, 2026.

PPL Summer Teen Events

Teen Loft Summer Hours (June 22 - August 21)

Monday/ Wednesday 12-7 pm

Tuesday/ Friday 12-5 pm

Thursday 1-5pm

Summer Programs and Activities

• Wander in Wednesdays (open to all school age youth)

Summer Drop-In Programs in the Children’s Room and Teen Loft at Wednesdays June 24th - August 12th 4:30-6pm

• Summer English (upcoming 9th-12th graders)

Free summer program for teens to receive English language instruction and practice and to meet other teens learning English. Sign up here.

10 am-12pm Monday - Thursday July 7th-30th.

• Summer Learning (drop in throughout the summer)

Youth may receive prizes for reading and engaging with summer learning opportunities at libraries across Providence

• Data for Good Summer Employment Update

Unfortunately due to funding losses we are not able to offer summer employment for teens this summer. As always teens are welcome to come into the Teen Loft for help finding summer employment opportunities or with job applications.

• Workshop (Makerspace)

Workshop open studio hours and equipment training will continue throughout the summer months.

Open Studios: Tuesday/Thursday 2:30-4:30

Equipment Training: Monday 5:30-6:30 (sign up required)

Family Makerspace: First Saturday of the month 11am-1pm

Fall ACN Courses

Enrollment for Fall courses is available now!

• HTML/CSS
• Student earn .5 high school credit
• Open to grades 7-12
  
• Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-5:30
• In person at PPL
• Enroll through ErollRI

• Python
• Student earn .5 high school credit
• Open to high school students (Students must have basic knowledge of HTML/CSS or JavaScript)
  
• Tuesday and Thursday, 3-5
• Virtual class meetings
• Enroll through ErollRI

• Robotics Workshop with Micro:Bit
  
• Open to middle school students
• Student may earn .5 credit (at the discretion of their school)
• Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-5:30
• Enroll through ErollRI

Literacy Learning Laboratory

In accordance with the Rhode Island Right to Read Act, RIDE has launched a Literacy Learning Lab. The Lab is designed to assist and promote training for educators, families, and caregivers to better understand the characteristics of evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia and related disorders, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. Please visit the new Literacy Learning Lab page on the RIDE website to register for upcoming webinars and explore resources for educators, families, and caregivers.

FAFSA is OPEN!

The Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available to all students and families at FAFSA.gov! Students who are planning for life after high school during the 2025-2026 school year are highly encouraged to fill out the form. It is critical to ensure that all students are completing their FAFSA to have a chance at financial support for their postsecondary education plans. Completing the FAFSA is a gateway for not only federal financial aid, but also grants, scholarships, and work-study. Read the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA announcement here.

Students and contributors (parents and guardians) will need to create an FSA ID/StudentAid ID prior to filling out the application. Share out this fillable FSA ID/Studentaid.gov account creation guide and worksheet with your students/families.

To help communicate the importance of FAFSA, RIDE has created monthly messages for you to share with students and families (including necessary links and directions). Please refer to the message document here and use the messages each month to keep students and their families informed.

The College Planning Center is a great resource to support FAFSA/FSA ID completion. They also provide a School Counselor Toolkit for the FAFSA check it out here! Look for updates to the FAFSA Dashboard soon!

Generation Teach Providence AmeriCorps Summer Teaching Fellowship Overview (Students 17+)

Do you want a fun, hands-on experience working with students in your community while earning $4,800? If so, the Generation Teach AmeriCorps Summer Teaching Fellowship is for you. Generation Teach provides high-school and undergraduate students of all majors with high-quality summer experiences.

Selected students will:

• Make a 7-week commitment which includes pre-summer preparation, in-person training, and 24 days of teaching small classes of Providence middle school students
• Plan and deliver daily lessons in engineering, law, math, or reading
• Lead and support student events and activities including small advisory groups, twice weekly community meetings, and more
• Receive daily coaching and feedback from a professional teacher
• Earn $4,800 ($3,234.92 in cash and a $1,565.08 AmeriCorps Education Award)

Upcoming application deadlines are December 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Learn more through this flyer and video. Fellowships fill quickly; apply here! You must be at least 17 years of age by April 15, 2025, to qualify.

The Return of the America’s Field Trip Contest! An Exciting Opportunity for your Students -

America250 is delighted to announce the return of the Americas Field Trip Contest, a nationwide initiative offering students in grades 3 to 12 a unique opportunity to engage with American history and culture. This year, America250 invites students to participate by submitting artwork or essays in response to the prompt: "What does America mean to you?" Students can express their creativity through visual art or written pieces, sharing their personal interpretations of what makes America distinctive.

Winners will have the remarkable opportunity to visit some of America’s most iconic landmarks, including Monticello, the Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Space Center. This experience will allow them to connect with these historical and cultural treasures in a meaningful way. Students can make individual submissions or teachers can include multiple student submissions. Visit the application page for submission guidelines. Entries are due at 5:00 PM on April 16, 2025.

Project Hand Up

Project Hand Up (PHU) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that helps people of all walks of life shop for groceries for a suggested donation that helps to stretch their paycheck, so they do not have to chose between eating and paying bills.

Their mission is to support those tackling challenging times with food assistance, no questions asked.

https://projecthandup.net/#home

Clothes to Kids RI - Who Qualifies?

Do you know a family in Providence County in financial need of assistance? Or a child who needs help with clothing for school? Please read on to learn more about how they can receive a free wardrobe from Clothes To Kids Rhode Island!

clothestokidsri.org

NAMI-RI: Free Virtual Family-To-Family course on Mental Health

NAMI-RI (The Rhode Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is now accepting registration for our Spring 2024 virtual Family-to-Family course which will begin April 6. This is a free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program, which means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition. NAMI-Rhode Island's Family-to-Family course is taught by trained family members who have lived experience with a loved one, and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises. For more information on the Family-to-Family curriculum and registration requirements, visit namirhodeisland.org or call 401-331-3060 or email beth@namirhodeisland.org.

Tutor.com Can Help High Schoolers on Their Paths to College

Are your high schoolers preoccupied with the SAT or ACT? The score is a key component of the college admissions process. Check out Tutor.com’s SAT/ACT Essentials service (includes full-length practice tests, test-taking strategy videos and more), free with AskRI.org’s Tutor.com service. SAT/ACT Essentials, powered by the world leader in test prep, The Princeton Review, will give students the edge they need to reach their target score. Tutor.com is FREE 7 days a week to all Rhode Island students via AskRI.org, Rhode Island’s Online Resource Center.

Kids’ Link RI™ is a behavioral health triage service and referral network. A program offered in collaboration with Gateway Healthcare, Lifespan, Hasbro Children's Hospital and Bradley Hospital, Kids’ Link RI is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help triage children and youth in need of mental health services and refer them to treatment providers.​The free, confidential phone line, 1-855-543-5465, connects parents and caregivers to an experienced clinician that can help them access children’s services in Rhode Island, and determine the best place to go for treatment and counseling.

BHLink

At BH Link, our goal is to connect people seamlessly to ongoing treatment. BH Link's mission is to ensure all Rhode Islanders 18+ experiencing mental health and substance use crises receive the appropriate services they need as quickly as possible in an environment that supports their recovery.

bhlink.org

Year-round volunteer opportunity for students

Gammbassadors (Youth Ushers) Program Kicks Off Second Year at The Gamm Theatre: Are you a high school student who loves theater? If so, you can learn about professional theater and see shows for FREE — plus earn community service hours. It's easy and fun! For details, click the link below. Gammbassadors must be aged 16-18 and willing to fulfill the same roles as any other usher: scanning tickets, directing patrons in the lobby and the theater, stuffing and/or passing out programs, seating patrons, and answering patrons' questions. In return, you have the option to earn community service hours and see Gamm productions for free! Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Magenta Kolakowski at 401-723-4266 x 112 or volunteer@gammtheatre.org with any questions and to let us know if you want to earn community service credits. Performance Dates: The Effect - Sept. 26, 2024-Oct. 13, 2024, Amadeus - Nov. 7, 2024 - Dec. 1, 2024, Girls & Boys - Jan. 2, 2025 - Jan 19, 2025, Between Riverside and Crazy - Feb 13, 2025 - Mar. 9th 2025, Hamlet - Apr. 3, 2025 - Apr 27, 2025. More information available here: https://www.gammtheatre.org/volunteer.

Are you taking the SAT this year?

The new digital SAT requires the Bluebook App. You can download it ahead of your test day and complete your exam setup. This is how you receive your exam entrance ticket.

Planning to take the ACT? Download the new test guide for 2024-2025

This guide was designed to make understanding all things ACT as simple as possible. With information about ACT test dates, fee waivers, and test prep, you'll find everything you need to succeed on test day. Learn more about the ACT fee waiver program.