The following are a few prominent education focused grassroots organizations actively involved in the city of Providence, Rhode Island.

Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)

PrYSM is a community based non-profit grassroots organization led by students and youth in Providence, Rhode island. Their mission, as stated on their Facebook page, is to “confront and end state, street and interpersonal violence affecting the Southeast Asian community in Rhode Island.” Their organization has been in the community since 2001. At the moment their main campaign is pushing for the passage of the Community Safety Act (CSA). The CSA is an ordinance designed to promote police accountability in providence and protect all peoples of the city from police misconduct. Additionally, PrYSM is involved in promoting to its community members a national campaign against unlawful deportation of Asian immigrants. The movement is led by the South Asian Freedom Network (SEAF)

Allianza Mobilizando y Organizando Resistencia (AMOR)

The Allianza Mobilizando y Organizando Resistencia (translated: Alliance Mobilizing and Organizing the resistance) serves resident people of color, especially latino communities, in and around the city of Providence, RI. Located in Providence, AMOR markets itself as a rapid response network connecting community members to community recourses. These recourses include: Immediate emergency legal services, “culturally competent psychological services”, support and documentation of hate crimes, protection from “all forms of violence, especially state sponsored violence” in the community, and “a network of sanctuary housing”. This grassroots organization is fairly new and developing its approach while it transitions from previously serving as as an emergency hotline for the community to now broadening its influence through more community mobilizing and network building. Website and support information are provided in English and Spanish.

Providence Student Union 

The Providence Student Union impressively strives to make its organization as student led as possible. The goal of this grassroots organization is to empower students to “reshape their own education from the ground ground up.” Initiatives vary based on the students concerns. Providence Student Union currently has chapters at six of different Providence high schools and they hope to grow even more!

Youth in Action (YIA)

Youth in action is committed to increasing youth involvement in decisions impacting their education. In short, this organization allows students to “share their stories, practice leadership, and create change in their communities”–as stated in the group’s mission statement. Centered in the south side of Providence, YIA particularly targets teens and young adults belonging to marginalized groups around the city. Membership is predominantly poor youth and people of color and their initiatives reflect their concerns for their own affiliate groups. YIA is nearly 15 years old and currently represents 15 different Providence high schools.

Rhode Island for Community and Justice (RICJ)

The motto for the non-profit community organization Rhode Island for Community and Justice is,”Fighting bias, bigotry and racism and promoting understanding together.” RICJ has deep roots in the Greater Providence area. They Advocated for fair housing in the 1960s, lead anti-prejudice education initiatives in Providence public elementary and high schools in the 1970s, and since the 1990s has made a shift toward, “long-term prevention, multicultural education, building the leadership capacity of youth and community, and promoting inclusive and culturally competent institutions.” Recently RICJ’s focus is on youth programing and juvenile justice.

Youth Action Council (YAC)

The Youth Action Council is a community organization started by the rhode Island for Community and justice grassroots organization. The program gather’s teens and young adults from around Providence together after school and bridges differences between different races, cultures, religions, socioeconomic statuses, gender, etc. through advocacy efforts, education, artistic expression, and of course ample dialogue.

 

LIFE: Live Inspire Fight Educate

This community organization encourages members of the providence community–particularly people of color–to engage in critical dialogue concerning issues in the community. The mission of LIFE is to manifest resistance through the use of education. They that through education based resistance they can “improve the overall quality of life in our communities by promoting and practicing collective leadership development.”

The Providence Youth Center

The Youth Center provides a space for community engagement and a place to spread youth services ranging from employment opportunities to after school tutoring. Various community organizations, use the Youth Center in hopes of bettering the educational and vocational prospects of teens and young adults of Providence. The center mainly serves youth ages 14-24. lastly, another important aspect of the Youth center is it’s year round accessibility, granting youth a place to be even when school is not in session.