PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — ONE Neighborhood Builders is proud to announce the renewal of William D’Abate Elementary School’s after-school enrichment program. The community development organization has received an award through the Rhode Island Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant to support existing after-school and school vacation extra-curricular programs at Olneyville’s D’Abate Elementary School for an additional 5 years. The program is intended to help students build academic skills and to develop socially and emotionally, while teaching the value of responsible decision-making and critical thinking.
Brent Kermen, D’Abate’s Principal, reflected, “Our teachers and parents witness firsthand the impact of high-quality, after-school programming. The nearly 300 children who participate each year are better prepared to learn and thrive, in the classroom and out in the community. My faculty and I are thrilled RIDE has approved our renewal request.”
The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, the recipient of the grant for the past 15 years, will continue to support the initiative by engaging Brown students to work with students at D’Abate, as well as by providing financial support.
“We recognize that the most sustainable solutions and healthiest communities are built when local individuals and agencies are actively involved in leading initiatives, which is what ONE Neighborhood Builders is now able to do at D’Abate Elementary,” stated Mathew Johnson, executive director of the Swearer Center. “By partnering with ONE Neighborhood Builders to ensure the continuity of high-quality programming at D’Abate, the Swearer Center is reinforcing our commitment to community agency, and we are proud to continue our support of this important initiative.”
“ONE Neighborhood Builders and the Swearer Center have a long track record of working together in the Olneyille neighborhood, and we are excited by this opportunity to expand that collaboration in order to provide a seamless transition for the D’Abate community,” remarked Jennifer Hawkins, executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders.
ONE Neighborhood Builders’ (ONE|NB) is a community development organization with a mission to promote equity, public health, and community safety in Providence’s neighborhoods. It accomplishes its mission through strategic real estate development to increase the availability of affordable homes; engaging residents and community-based organizations to build trust and collective problem-solving; and helping to develop individuals’ financial capabilities so that they may realize their personal asset-building goals.