Who We Are
Mission
Inspiring Minds empowers students to succeed and thrive in school and life by developing trusted relationships with community members who are knowledgeable of the culturally responsive, academic, and socio-emotional needs necessary for student success.
Vision
Inspiring Minds is an antiracist organization committed to closing equity gaps based on race, ethnicity, first language, and economic status that impact RI students and families.
Anti-Racism Definition
We actively identify and challenge inequitable systems, offering educational opportunities that center and amplify historically marginalized student voices and lived experiences while nurturing positive relationships that strengthen the overall educational community.
Values
Student-centered. Student success and well-being are the primary drivers behind our actions and decisions.
Equity-motivated. Racial equity is the just path forward for the organization, communities, and students we serve; therefore, we commit to antiracist practices.
Asset-framed. The diverse lived experiences of our students and their families are assets we acknowledge and promote.
Relationship-focused. Students thrive when they are connected to and supported by caring and committed adults.
Community-grounded. Inspiring Minds values community and invites community members to help create a supportive village for schools.
Expectations-driven. A critical strategy for closing the equity gap is to actively support a culture of high expectations, continuous growth, and improvement for students, schools, and Inspiring Minds.
Evidence-based. We use qualitative and quantitative data and research to inform our organizational decisions and spark dynamic and innovative responses.
What We Do
Tutoring and Mentoring
Volunteers are matched with students in small groups to develop a trusting relationship and to engage in structured activities, often around classroom or homework-related topics.
KidsBridge
KidsBridge is a free six-week summer experience for rising kindergartners with little to no preschool experience. KidsBridge prepares kindergarteners for their new roles as kindergarten students. Students attend school for six hours per day, five days per week, and adjust to the routines and procedures of kindergarten in order to help them transition into school. The program is taught by licensed, experienced teachers with support from Providence’s high school workforce and trained community volunteers.
Explorers
Explorers are multilingual and multiethnic youth who participate in a mentoring program and are provided a paid internship to “explore” the pathway to becoming a teacher in Providence Public Schools. The Explorers program has three components: work readiness skills training, group mentoring, and a work-based learning experience. Explorers support Pre-K to grade 5 students in a Providence Public School. They are matched with consistent students in small groups to develop trusting relationships and engage in structured activities to promote skill development in literacy and math. In addition to 80 hours of paid service learning, Explorers are paid to attend individual and group mentoring sessions with the Director of Career Development and Education and attend a minimum of 20 hours of paid professional development annually. Explorers must be 18 years old, identify as BIPOC or fluently speak a language that is spoken by students in Providence Public Schools. Explorers must submit to a state background check and be able to commit to a minimum of three hours per week from September 2025 to June 2026. Explorers must reside in Rhode Island and strongly commit to equitable education. The program’s goal is to encourage multilingual and multiethnic youth to work in Providence Public Schools and to add another entry point to the education career pathway that will support an increase in the number of Providence Public School staff that is reflective of the Providence student demographics.
ResilientKids
ResilientKids is a mindfulness-based social-emotional program that fuses direct instruction with access to online digital activities to empower youth with valuable and practical tools to incorporate into their everyday lives. Thirty-minute lessons are taught weekly in this classroom-based program.
Details
| (401) 274-3240 | |
| inspire@inspiringmindsri.org | |
| Matt Buckley | |
| Program Manager | |
| https://www.inspiringmindsri.org |
