Superintendent Collaborates with WASC to Knock Out Gaps in Student Achievement

The gap between school day and out of school time learning took a hit last month after member organizations in the Woonsocket After School Coalition (WASC) met with Dr. Giovanna Donoyan, Superintendent of Woonsocket Schools at on Main Street. The WASC members present at this community gathering, the first of its kind since any of the attendees could remember, introduced themselves to Donoyan and explained how their student centered programs can work closely with the school department to close gaps in student achievement and graduation rates, even in the face of severely constricted funds.

Perhaps because of constricted resources, new community/school partnerships are popping up all over RI, and other parts of the country, to bridge traditional divides, but none overcome obstacles like these partners in Woonsocket. Despite decades of old style politics and competition for limited funds, WASC partners sipped coffee and sampled turnovers as they enumerated a smorgasbord of new solutions to seemingly intractable problems. Since 2008, long time players in the field of youth development like and have joined forces with newer faces in youth solutions like , t, and to put decades old problems in their collective line of fire.

"Woonoscket After School Coalition was formed," explained Margaux Morisseau of NeighborWorks, "to offer opportunities to local youth that none of us ever could provide on our own like greater access to technology and connections to the world outside Woonsocket."

"The reason we organized this event, was to put the final obstacle to WASC's success to rest," said Bradley Fesmire of RiverzEdge, who called together the meeting. "It just isn't efficient to work with schools and principals one on one, so it was time to go to the top. We never expected the top to give us so much time and attention!"    

But nobody is better prepared to see the benefits that these partners provide to youth than Donoyan, who grew up in a family of recent immigrants to RI before ESL classes, reading enrichment programs and photography clubs after school. "We just had our families," she shared, "but so many of our Woonsocket kids don't have that kind of family support, so I am glad you are here."

Something's happening here when the heads of early childhood day care centers like Kids Klub and high school reform initiatives serving older youth and teens find regular reasons to join forces besides cookies and donuts.

WASC members include Boys & Girls Club of Woonsocket, Connecting for Children & Families, Expanded Learning Opportunities Woonsocket, Family Resources Community Action, Greater Woonsocket YMCA, Head Start, Kids Club, NeighborWorks YouthRAP, RiverzEdge Arts Project, Thundermist ThunderKids & ThunderTEENs Programs, YMCA and Woonsocket Prevention Coalition.

WASC works with the mission to "support the individualized learning needs of youth by coordinating efforts among organizations, families and schools to expand opportunities for success within the community and the world beyond." WASC meets regularly on the first Thursday of every month at 11 a.m. at the NeighborWorks Community Building at 141 Olo Street, First Floor. Contact Brad Fesmire brad@riverzedgearts.org for further information about the WASC and it's community education programs. 

Press release written by Rebekah Greenwald Speck, Executive Director of RiverzEdge Arts Project, with edits by Sandy Phaneuf.