June celebrations and farewells
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 At three separate events last month, we celebrated the achievements of our pre-kindergarten children, our Early Reading First educators, and our AmeriCorps members. Although in some cases this means saying goodbye, we're confident all of them will continue to accomplish great things in the future. Right: Jasmin was one of 18 children in our Pre-Kindergarten Classroom at CCRI, which is part of the state's Pre-K Project. A lottery will be held later this month for next year's class. We'll send an enewsletter when the application process begins. We'll also announce it on Facebook and on our website. |
ERF: Three years of hard work pay off
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On June 26, ERF participants, mentors and facilitators celebrated at R2LP.
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For three years the teachers and directors at our five Early Reading First sites have been taking courses and working with mentors to strengthen early literacy in their classrooms. An initial analysis of the data shows that the children in their programs outperformed their demographic peers at non-ERF sites. |
They logged more than 55,000 hours of service
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Glorayma Ramos describes her growth as an AmeriCorps member. She has been offered -- and has accepted -- a position with Children's Friend and Service as a teaching assistant.
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An end-of-the-year celebration held at Save the Bay on June 29 recognized the many achievements of this year's AmeriCorps team. The 31 members who completed the year logged some 55,000 hours of service at early-care settings, libraries, pediatric clinics and the R2LP offices.
About 10 of these members earned--or are close to earning--
a Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate while serving in the R2LP AmeriCorps program. This is a significant first rung on the career ladder in early childhood education.
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R2LP Director Leslie Gell holds the CDA certificate AmeriCorps member Yesica Bustamente received in the mail just hours before the end-of-the-year celebration.
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Click here for more pictures from the AmeriCorps celebration.
Good luck, Nazly
 Nazly Guzman, who has been with the R2LP AmeriCorps program since its inception in 2005 and who has served as its tireless director since 2008, will be leaving us this fall. She and husband Jeff Priest, who has been with our data and research department since 2007, plan to move to Burlington, Vt., later this year so that he can pursue graduate work.
Nazly has played an instrumental role in creating the vibrant AmeriCorps program we have at R2LP. Under her leadership, members gave close to 400,000 hours of service to the community.
The program will remain in good hands. Succeeding Nazly as director is Kristin Read, who joins us on July 30. (Nazly will be with us until September to ensure a smooth transition.)
 Kristin has been serving as the associate director for R.I.Campus Compact, where she was overseeing 110 part-time AmeriCorps members. She also brings a strong background in early childhood education, having worked as a program manager for state-funded Pre-K programs in several counties in Florida and as the director of education at the Miami Children's Museum.
Kristin has a master's degree in organizational leadership and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Wheelock College.
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| Providence named an All-America City |  Providence was one of 14 communities to be named an All-America City at a conference earlier this month of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading in Denver.
The award, presented by the National Civic League, was based on the strength of plans that communities submitted this spring to increase the number of low-income students reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
Accepting the award on behalf of Providence (and standing with Gloria Rubio-Cortés, president of the National Civic League, far left) are (l-r): Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode Island Kids Count; Angela Romans, senior adviser on education to Providence Mayor Angel Taveras; Leslie Gell, director of R2LP; Annmarie Sawyer, executive director, YMCA of Greater Providence; and Ralph Smith, senior vice president, Annie E. Casey Foundation.
In an interview after the award was announced, Mayor Taveras said this recognition will make it easier for the city to secure public and private funding for the implementation of the plan.
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| AmeriCorps |
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T.E.A.C.H.
Rhode Island
|  | We're accepting applications from educators who wish to pursue early childhood education coursework at the associate's or bachelor's degree level. Click here to learn about eligibility requirements and benefits.
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