Nursing Charter School Celebrates Opening

The first nursing charter school in the country opened earlier this month in Providence and the school celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting event today.

The school allows secondary students interested in nursing and health care to earn a high school degree along with college credit.

“We are thrilled to officially open the doors of the Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter School,” said Dr. Robert Pilkington, superintendent. “We are committed to providing more choice and an innovative educational option to young Rhode Islanders who are interested in a career in nursing, and who hail from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in our state’s colleges and universities.”

The school was approved by the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education this summer — the same governing body that rejected a proposal for a charter school in Cranston to be run by Achievement First, a nonprofit operator of charter schools.

While Achievement First's proposal attracted a large amount of controversy, the nursing school never became an issue of contention.

The school’s curriculum challenges students to earn a high school diploma, Certified Nursing Assistant’s (CNA) credential, and will help better prepare students for a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, according to a release.

“This groundbreaking program has the potential to play a critical role in preparing the next generation of nurses and help us meet our workforce needs in growing industries like health care,” said Congressman James Langevin (D – R.I. 2nd congressional district,) who hosted a workforce development roundtable last month with leaders in the state’s nursing community. “We must give our students the necessary skill sets to compete for jobs in innovative fields and revitalize Rhode Island’s competitiveness for a 21st Century economy.”

The school will accept students from across the state, including Cranston. Every application must have passed ninth grade English and math and be heading into tenth grade.

For more information, visit www.tomorrowsnurses.org.