Building on the success of the AfterZone, PASA and 10 community partners including the Providence Public School Department, created a similar after-school system for high school youth called the Hub. Youth were “graduating” from the content-rich AfterZone looking for ways to connect to the world around them, so in 2007, then-Mayor Cicilline funded a team comprised of adult/youth pairs from 10 youth-focused organizations in Providence—including Youth in Action, AS220, the Institute for Nonviolence, College Visions, and Youth Pride—to create an after-school learning system for high school youth.
Today, The Hub is a citywide approach to building sustainable, high-quality expanded learning opportunities for high school-aged youth in Providence. The Hub, in partnership with the Providence Public Schools and the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, has built a process that connects high school youth to Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) resulting in high school credit. The Hub’s ELO Community Partners provide students with after school experiences ranging from video game development, Android App development, English language programming,open source web development, environmental science, debate and much more. Each ELO is aligned with National Common Core standards and has been approved by the Providence Public School District.
Planning and Design
In 2007, Mayor Cicilline funded a team to create an extended learning system for high school youth that would draft a plan, informed by leaders and youth, for PASA to support.
The planning team, called the Urban Social Empowerment (USE) Collective, included individuals from 10 nonprofit organizations and the Providence Public School Department. Each organization brought a youth-adult pair to the process as equal partners. USE Collective partners were:
- AS220
- College Visions
- Everett Dance Theatre
- The Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence
- New Urban Arts
- PrYSM
- The Steel Yard
- Youth In Action
- Young Voices
- Youth Pride, Inc.
The Office of High Schools, Providence School Department, was also an essential collaborator for this planning process, facilitated by Michelle Duso and Jonny Skye Njie. This group met for 10 months to formulate a plan. It delivered the Hub Design Plan to the Mayor and PASA in November 2008, and it was approved by the PASA Board of Directors in January 2009. Read The Hub overview or full design plan.
Advisory Council
This council is a cross-section of community, education, policy, and business leaders.
- Ashley Belanger, RI Urban Debate League
- Carrie Bridges, RI Department of Health
- Maryellen Butke, RI-CAN
- Joseph Cammarano, Providence College
- Alma Carillo, The Steel Yard
- Karsten Cash, RI Dept of Education
- Andy Cutler, Cutler & Company
- Alexis Devine, Lifespan
- Jim DeRentis, Banking
- Alexis Devine, Lifespan
- Victoria Ferrara, RI Foster Parents Association
- Chris Flanagan, Business Innovation Factory
- Liz Garofalo, Rhode Island College
- Sarah Meyer, New Urban Arts
- Simon Moore, College Visions
- Adeola Oredola, Youth In Action
- Amy Pettine, RIPTA
- Kelly Ramirez, Social Ventures Partners, RI
- Jennie Silbert, Innovation Partners International
- Allan Tear, Betaspring
- Anne Walsh, Workforce Solutions