Providence After School Alliance

PASA acts as an intermediary organization, developing and coordinating relationships between the Providence Public School Department, a network of community-based youth program providers, partner schools, higher education institutions, and the city to create a shared leadership and governance system that builds upon the strengths and commitment of the Providence community to develop positive outcomes for youth. Leaders from youth-serving organizations and city departments work on a shared business plan with focused youth, program, and system outcomes.

City Leadership

The city’s contributions to the public/private after-school system include: 

• Active Board Participation: The Mayor chairs PASA’s Board of Directors and is joined by the Superintendent of Schools and Chief of Police.

• Coordination with PASA Staff: The city’s Director of Operations leads an interdepartmental team that implements plans and mobilizes resources:
  
  • Police officers assist in recreational programming
  • Parks Department staff at the Zoo, Botanical Garden and Natural History Museum provide hands-on learning 
  • Recreation Center staff provide fields, facilities, programs and transportation
  • Arts Council connects PASA to arts groups and special performances 
  • Substance Abuse Council provides prevention education

• Funding: PASA receives funding from the city, as well as in-kind support for infrastructure and programming. PASA and city grant-writing staff collaborate to secure philanthropic, state and federal funding.  

• Promotion & Exposure: The Mayor promotes PASA locally and nationally as a board member of the Afterschool Alliance and leader at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities.

Non-Profit and Community Partnerships

Because a quality after-school system depends on skilled and experienced providers teaching and mentoring youth, PASA’s relationship with its community partners and program providers is a top priority. 

Together with local youth-serving organizations, artists and athletes, recreation departments and libraries, and dozens of community partners, PASA has built an organized network and coordinated schedule of dynamic enrichment opportunities. Strengthened relationships will ensure future success with both current and prospective partners. 

Our partnerships are not limited only to those who provide and house after-school programming. A team of local businesses, organizations, and leaders lend their expertise and support, enabling PASA’s success: from City Year Rhode Island, which provides staffing in 4 of the 7 AfterZone schools, to volunteers from local institutions of higher education. 

Community partners participate in PASA governance through:

• Board of Directors: includes community and citizen leaders who bring a range of neighborhood, statewide policy, business, arts and parent perspectives.
• Coordinating Councils: oversee the middle school AfterZone model and provide fiscal, management, and human resources oversight.
• Advisory Teams and Work Groups: community and city practitioners that design and help implement plans for new initiatives, such as the AfterZone and Quality Improvement plan. The new high school and expanded learning initiatives both have advisory teams guiding the new work.

School Alignment

Because youth are central to everything PASA does, alignment with schools is critical. PASA works collaboratively with the Providence Public School Department to create a coordinated schedule of after-school programming that builds on existing resources and learning strategies. As a result, PASA, the District, parnter schools, and the community of programmatic partners have developed shared goals, blended practice of community educators within the school day, joint accountability through a PASA/District data-sharing agreement, and the creation of an expanded learning model to offer high school credits for high quality out-of-school experiences. 

In 2008, The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation selected Providence as one of two cities to receive a three-year New Day for Learning grant, recognizing Providence’s re-imagining of how, when and where youth are learning.