Smiley Administration unveils citywide strategy connecting early childhood education, neighborhood enrichment and career opportunities for Providence students
Mayor Brett P. Smiley was today joined by Superintendent of Providence Public Schools Javier Montañez, Community College of Rhode Island President Rosemary Costigan A. Ph.D., RN, President & CEO of Children’s Friend David Caprio, Executive Director of the Providence Foundation David Salvatore, Executive Director of City Year Rhode Island Nirva LaFortune and Executive Director of Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center Khadija Lewis Khan to unveil the Providence Cradle-to-Career Strategy. This initiative is a coordinated approach to ensure every Providence child has access to the opportunities and individualized support needed to succeed from early childhood through graduation and into careers.
“Every student in Providence deserves every opportunity to succeed from the first day of school, through graduation, into college or a rewarding career,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “Our Cradle-to-Career plan will bring our schools, City government and community partners together to better connect students and their families with programs, resources and opportunities available across Providence. By working together, we are ensuring every child in our city receives the support they need at every stage.”
As Providence begins a new chapter in local management, the Cradle-to-Career Strategy advances the goals established in Providence’s Plan for Our Schools: Building a Brighter Future by outlining a roadmap that connects early childhood education, neighborhood-based out-of-school time learning opportunities, and career-connected learning. This approach aims to strengthen coordination among Providence Public Schools, the Providence School Board, the Providence City Council, City departments, educators, families, community organizations, higher education institutions, employers and labor partners.
“Providence is becoming a destination for education,” said Providence Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez. “Over the past six year, we’ve more than doubled access to Pre-K seats, established Career and Technical Education programs at every high school this year, and ended last year with nearly 100 Providence Public Schools graduates accepting job offers at Electric Boat. I’m looking forward to working with the City to build on that momentum because every child deserves access to opportunities that prepare them for lifelong success.”
The City is already advancing these goals as Providence Public Schools return to local management. Through unprecedented investments in public education, Providence is rebuilding and modernizing school facilities that encompass approximately 3,000 classrooms, so every student will be in a new or like-new school by 2030. The city has achieved universal access to pre-K for four-year-olds and has installed modern HVAC systems in recreation centers to create healthier, safer environments. The City has also increased its annual contribution to Providence Public Schools every year under Mayor Smiley’s leadership, demonstrating a sustained commitment to giving students, educators and families the resources they need to succeed.
“Building a strong education system for our children means ensuring Providence students have the support and choices they need to succeed,” said President of the Community College of Rhode Island Rosemary A. Costigan, Ph.D., RN. “CCRI is proud to partner with the City of Providence and Providence Public Schools to prepare the next generation of early childhood educators and help students turn their goals into opportunities for college, careers and lifelong success. Together, we are removing barriers and creating opportunities for Providence’s youth.”
The Cradle-to-Career Strategy will build on this progress by bringing the programs, partnerships and opportunities into a more coordinated pathway. This approach will make it easier for students and families to access educational opportunities, neighborhood-based enrichment, internships, apprenticeships and career preparation at every stage of development.
“We need a robust early learning system that includes Head Start, state Pre-K, and childcare to make access truly universal,” said President & CEO of Children’s Friend David Caprio. High-quality early learning has been proven to have great outcomes for kids and a great return to society. The Cradle-to-Career vision and strategy will help ensure that kids and families receive the services that best fit their needs to make them successful.”
The strategy is organized around three priorities that will guide implementation over the coming years:
Start Strong: Providence is strengthening early childhood education by expanding access for students and developing an educator workforce that reflects and effectively serves Providence families. Through a $1.5 million award from Brown University, the Community College of Rhode Island will establish Providence’s first bilingual early childhood education credential program. The initiative is expected to expand the number of credentialed early childhood educators available to Providence Public Schools by as many as 180 teachers over the next three years.
Building on this investment, Providence will continue improving universal access to Pre-K, with the goal of providing full-day Pre-K opportunities for all PPSD four-year-olds by 2030. The City will also develop a five-year roadmap toward universal 3K for three-year-olds and coordinate outreach and enrollment efforts so families can more easily access available programs and resources.
Grow and Explore: During the 2025–2026 academic year, the City expanded academically focused out-of-school programming through Learn365. In partnership with the Providence After School Alliance, programs were offered at DelSesto and Roger Williams middle schools. The City also partnered with PASA (Providence After School Alliance) and the Community Libraries of Providence to provide a math-focused after-school program for Pleasant View Elementary School students near the Vincent Brown Recreation Center and Mount Pleasant Library.
“As a graduate of Providence Public Schools and a parent of a current student, I know how important it is for every young people in our city to see a clear path from the classroom to a successful future,” said Executive Director of the Providence Foundation David Salvatore. “Providence’s business community has both an opportunity and a responsibility to support our students. By working together, we can help students discover their potential, build a local talent pipeline and create a stronger future for all of Providence.”
The City will build upon these partnerships by creating stronger connections among schools, recreation centers, libraries and community organizations through neighborhood campuses. This work will include automatically enrolling Providence Public School students in Providence Recreation programs, expanding Eat, Play, Learn into year-round out-of-school-time opportunities and better coordinating programming, operations and transportation for students and families.
Graduate Ready: Through One Providence for Youth 2026, the City awarded funding to AS220, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, College Visions and Providence Public Schools Career and Technical Education programs. Together, these partners are providing summer employment, enrichment and career-development opportunities for 131 young people between the ages of 14 and 24.
Building upon successful models that combine strong academics with technical training at the Providence Career and Technical Academy and through the Providence Fire Department CTE Pathway at Central High School, the City will expand partnerships with colleges, employers, labor organizations and community groups. These partnerships will increase access to internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, job-shadowing and other career-connected learning opportunities. A centralized City partnership process will also make it easier for employers to connect with Providence schools, students, families and communities.
To support the implementation of the next phase of the City’s strategy, Mayor Smiley will hire an Education Advisor within the Mayor’s Office. The Education Advisor will lead the City’s Cradle-to-Career program, strengthen partnerships across schools, government and the community and help ensure students can access any opportunities and support available to them.
“A cradle-to-career strategy is about more than education—it’s about continuing to build a community where every child has the opportunity to succeed from birth through adulthood,” said Executive Director at Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center, Khadija Lewis Khan. “I’m proud to stand with Mayor Smiley and so many community partners who share that commitment to Providence’s children and families.”
The City is partnering with PPSD and the School Board working through a shared work plan to prepare for the first day of school on August 25 and for the first school year after the State’s intervention in the school district.
“The Mayor’s Cradle-to-Career Strategy recognizes what we’ve long known at City Year: student success is built through partnership,” said Executive Director of City Year Rhode Island Nirva R LaFortune. “Every day our City Year Rhode Island AmeriCorps members serving as student success coaches, help students build the academic skills, confidence, and sense of belonging they need to thrive, while developing into the next generation of educators, private and public leaders, and civic changemakers themselves. We are proud to stand alongside the City of Providence and our community partners to ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed from the classroom to a career.”
The Cradle-to-Career Strategy represents the next chapter of Providence’s Plan for Our Schools: Building a Brighter Future. By expanding the City’s investments in public education and aligning the work of schools, City departments and community partners, Providence will create a seamless system of support that helps every student thrive from early childhood through college, careers and lifelong success.