Funding for R2LP is made possible through the following Federal agencies and private organizations.
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Parents are essential to the success of Ready to Learn Providence’s activities and to meeting the overall vision. With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and in partnership with Making Connections Providence, R2LP will continue to develop parent leaders and encourage such leadership in every aspect of R2LP’s work. Parents will help continue to shape the R2LP initiative and future areas of focus. Funding will also introduce more families to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards and related Family Fun Activity Kits. Trainings for parent leaders and house parties will be coordinated with R2LP’s AmeriCorps program and in partnership with Recycle for Rhode Island Education. Finally, R2LP will use a house party model to launch Mind in the Making: Providence. This family-focused, interactive initiative will build around the 12-part series Mind in the Making: The Science of Early Learning by the Family and Work Institute.
Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation
The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation helps support the work of 30 AmeriCorps members at the Providence Public Library branches, at child-care centers and other community-based organizations, and with family child-care providers. The Foundation also provides valuable pro bono legal support to R2LP and our parent organization, The Providence Plan, and Brown Rudnick staff volunteer with R2LP activities.
Corporation for National & Community Service / Rhode Island Service Alliance (AmeriCorps)
Ready to Learn Providence’s 30-member AmeriCorps program began in 2005. Since that time, more than 75 individuals have served at branches of the Providence Public Library and in early-care child centers throughout the city. Several members work at the Ready to Learn offices to support R2LP initiatives in early literacy. AmeriCorps members work to increase the library usage among non-English speaking families in the city, create programs that connect family child-care providers to their local library branch, and collaborate with teachers to improve the overall classroom environment in child-care centers.
Dexter Donation Fund
Dexter Donation, an agent of the City of Providence, provides support for a "Hardship Fund" for eligible AmeriCorps Members during their year of service with R2LP. The Dexter Donation assists member who suffer from conditions of poverty that would otherwise prevent their continued participation in R2LP's service learning program. The program may provide additional resources to members for food, eyeglasses, household products, rental assistance and other expenses necessary to remain in the program.
IBM Corportation
IBM has donated computers and monitors to R2LP. Their donations supplemented R2LP's existing collection of hardware and have impacted R2LP's efforts to connect low income families to programs and resources designed to promote school readiness. Programs involved include Providence library branches, early care centers, and family home providers.
Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation
Funding from Ocean State Job Lot provides general support of the R2LP vision that all children enter school healthy and ready to learn.
Rhode Island Foundation
Support from the Rhode Island Foundation is helping R2LP expand professional development opportunities for Latina early childhood educators throughout Providence. El Club de Proveedoras Infantial de Rhode Island is a professional club for home-based child educators led by the provider community and hosted by R2LP and now. Membership in the past year grew from 35 to more than 100. All Club members have completed HeadsUp! Reading at R2LP.
Rhode Island General Assembly
The Rhode Island General Assembly maintains $2.3 million in legislative grants, funding a variety of programs and projects designed to enhance the quality of life for Rhode Island residents. Ready to Learn Providence has been the recipient of 3 legislative grants.
United Way of Rhode Island
The United Way is supporting Ready to Learn Providence in bringing Mind in the Making to Providence. Mind in the Making is a rigorous and comprehensive professional development initiative developed by the Families and Work Institute. The purpose of the program is to share the science of early learning with all those who care about children's learning and development. Mind in the Making uses twelve Learning Modules designed to bridge the gap between research and practice for children from birth through school entry. The United Way's financial commitment will allow R2LP to operate Learning Modules for early care and education providers throughout the city.
Urban Institute National Neighborhoods Indicator PartnershipIn partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Urban Institute NNIP is funding R2LP as part of a national School Readiness and Success Cross Site Initiative. Funds will assist R2LP's data and evaluation efforts including indicator updates for the
How Ready is Providence? report and a survey of the impact of cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program on families and providers statewide.
U.S. Department of Education
The US Department of Education provides essential funding for R2LP's professional development initiatives - Early Reading First (ERF) and Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (ECEPD). The initiatives are serving hundreds of providers throughout Providence - both center-based and family child-care providers - with in-depth early literacy training through college-level courses, on-the-job coaching and mentoring, and material support.
Past funders include the Hasbro Charitable Trust, Rhode Island Department of Health, and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Child Care Bureau.
