RIDE Awards Career Exploration Grants to 18 RI Middle Schools

Published on Monday, June 17, 2019

PrepareRI effort allows more Grade 6-8 students to explore career options

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) today announced that 18 middle schools across the state have been awarded Career Exploration Grants to develop programs to introduce students to a wide range of future career options. The grant program is part of the state’s PrepareRI effort, which is working to ensure all Rhode Island youth have the skills they need for jobs that pay.

“Preparing more Rhode Island students for long-term career success is a top priority for all of us working in education,” said Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “These Career Exploration Grants will help our middle school students explore what is possible for them in the future, so they can turn their dreams into reality. I look forward to visiting many of these schools to see these programs in action.”

The total amount of the 18 grants is just over $87,000, with an average grant of $5,000 for each school. The grants will be used to build or expand programs to put more students on track for success in college and career. The schools receiving grants are:

• Birchwood Middle School – North Providence
• Calcutt Middle School – Central Falls
• Chariho Middle School – Charlestown/Richmond/Hopkinton
• Paul Cuffee Middle School – Providence
• Deering Middle School – West Warwick
• East Bay Educational Collaborative – Bristol Warren
• Exeter-West Greenwich Jr. High – Exeter-West Greenwich
• Gallagher Middle School – Smithfield
• Gaudet Middle School – Middletown
• Goff Middle School – Pawtucket
• Jenks Middle School – Pawtucket
• Kickemuit Middle School – Bristol Warren
• North Smithfield Middle School – North Smithfield
• Martin Middle School – East Providence
• Ponaganset Middle School – Foster-Glocester
• Dr. E.A. Ricci Middle School – North Providence
• Slater Middle School – Pawtucket
• Thompson Middle School – Newport

PrepareRI developed the Career Exploration Grant program to support schools in implementing strong career awareness programs beginning in middle school. The grants are intended to accelerate the integration of career exploration activities with existing learning experiences in middle school (grades 6-8). RIDE awarded the grants on a competitive basis to support new or existing middle school career exploration activities in an effort to create a portfolio of career exploration models that are developed and/or adapted in partnership with industry representatives.

The list of organization/employer partners for these programs includes: Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA) and Herreshoff Marine Museum, Junior Achievement, City Sail Inc., New England Institute of Technology, IYRS, Green Development, URI Smile Program, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), IRobot, Army National Guard, SENEDIA, Naviance, Boys and Girls Club, Fab Lab Newport, Downtown Designs, Bike Newport, Inventing Heron, EverFi, Electric Boat, Jason Learning, MTTI, TPI Composites, Pezza Farm, and Xello.

To learn more, visit www.Prepare-RI.org.

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