Systems Building
(Above: Former Providence Mayor David Cicilline addresses The Wallace Foundation's city symposium, "The Power of Coordination: Emerging Lessons on How Cities Can Strengthen OST Services," on the importance of building citywide systems, on December 9, 2010.)
Former Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Providence’s youth leaders share a vision for a full day of learning that supports the healthy development of every child in Providence from the moment they wake until they go to bed at night. Throughout Cicilline’s 2002 mayoral campaign and subsequent terms in office, out-of-school time for youth has been a top priority. While he was running for office on a youth-focused platform, the Wallace Foundation announced its Learning in Communities initiative to aid cities in building citywide systems of high-quality after-school programming.
Providence was selected by the Foundation due to the Mayor’s leadership and a business plan he developed with over 200 youth organizations and leaders. The first stage of this systems-building effort has provided middle school youth high-quality after-school programming without compromising accessibility.
By coordinating programming in schools and community agencies, PASA engages youth in a wide array of programs, without worry over the logistics of transportation, scheduling, potential overlap, and most importantly, cost.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation recognized the national implications of PASA's work and selected us as one of four organizations nationwide to profile. After coming to Providence to learn about our system, the foundation’s website, Edutopia, created video and print tutorials of PASA. These tutorials have become an invaluable resource for cities and organizations looking to replicate our after-school model.
