Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance

The Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance (RIASPA) is a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to influence public policy to expand and support high quality afterschool programs so that Rhode Island’s children and youth are inspired to learn, grow and prepared to lead productive lives. RIASPA was founded by, and is currently funded and housed by United Way of Rhode Island and is one of thirty-eight statewide afterschool networks in the nation funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Currently RIASPA has a broad-based network of over 400 individual members in Rhode Island. Participating organizations include direct afterschool providers, substance abuse task-forces, community groups serving youth during the afterschool hours, school personnel, and state agencies, among others.

RIASPA’s goals include:

• Influencing public policy to increase support for afterschool programs
• Enhancing public awareness and mobilizing public will about the importance of afterschool programs
• Fostering strategic program quality improvement in afterschool programs across the state.

As RIASPA is a statewide intermediary policy organization, it has the ability to bring diverse stakeholders to the table to help improve the capacity and infrastructure for afterschool programs. RIASPA’s job is to ensure that afterschool programs are of high quality and have sustainable resources over time so that they can improve the lives of all children and youth in Rhode Island.

RIASPA's Summer Learning Supplies Drive June 1-June 16, 2011

You can help support summer learning for 600 children by contributing to RIASPA's Summer Learning Supplies Drive. Items needed include new & unopened packages of regular and colored pencils, pens, markers, crayons, composition and single-subject spiral notebooks, paper (lined, construction and specialty), scissors, refillable water bottles, glue, and sunscreen.

Learning supplies can be brought to UWRI, 50 Valley Street, Providence from June1-June 16, from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Programs supported include: Chillin' & Skillin' Making Waves Summer Learning Camp, Woonsocket; Cool Summer Program, Central Falls; Camp XL, Cranston; Camp Sun 'n' Fun and Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club; and Pawtucket COZ Summer Learning Programs.

For more information, please contact Adam Greenman, (401) 331-2638, or e-mail.