ABOUT US

PVD Promise is a parent-driven partnership that supports Providence Public School and Charter School students to continue their education after high-school.

HOW IT WORKS

OUR TEAM

Mission

Providence Promise promotes high educational aspirations and more equitable opportunities for Providence Public School and Charter School students by advocating for college savings accounts and family engagement, increasing financial literacy, and reducing the financial burden of higher education.

Vision

To increase the K-12 and postsecondary success of Providence Public School and Charter School students and to help ensure a brighter future for the students, their families, and the community.

"I believe that education is the great equalizer! It is the best way to narrow the income and wealth gap between the white community and communities of color! Providence Promise is an important part of the solution."

- Jim Vincent, Former President of the NAACP Providence

How It Works

PVD Promise has established a multi-prong approach to combat the multitude of structural barriers to post-secondary education, especially for marginalized families. Its backbone, the opening of a College Savings Account (CSA), offers a pathway for families to assist their children in achieving and financing their education beyond high school. PVD Promise functions in three primary capacities to support families and youth...

FOSTER

PVD Promise fosters a relationship with families that is built on transparency and trust. This begins when we partner with parents/guardians to enroll children from birth through 9th grade in our program, opening a 529 CSA for each. PVD Promise ensures that families feel fully informed of the process and the associated benefits. Additionally, families commit about 1% of their annual income to each of the CSAs, owned by the family, monthly.

INVEST

PVD Promise partners with families to help them grow their account by providing a $100 seed deposit to each account upon enrollment. PVD Promise continues to invest in CSAs via the Early Scholarship Program, which offers students and families hundreds of opportunities to earn additional contributions for their participation in incentivized activities. Students can earn up to $3,000 per year in incentive awards.

EMPOWER

PVD Promise offers robust, on-going Family Engagement and Youth Engagement Programs. These programs are designed to empower families to be advocates in their child's education and community and to equip students with the tools and resources they need to be successful in their post secondary endeavors. Programming is community-responsive, bilingual in English and Spanish, and planned in partnership with member councils.

Our Programs

Hover over each section to get in-depth details about our programs.

Enrollment

Learn about program enrollment!

Financial Empowerment begins when families enroll in Providence Promise, as parents/guardians (account holders) working with talented, bilingual staff to open a 529 College Savings Account (CSA) for each child (beneficiaries) in their household. Staff work with parents/guardians to navigate technology and language barriers, making the CSA enrollment process more accessible. As part of the “Early Scholarship Program”, Providence Promise provides a $100 seed to each new CSA. Parents/guardians also agree to make monthly contributions to their CSAs within their means - about 1% of their annual income.

Family Engagement Program

Learn about our family programs!

The Family Engagement Program provides workshops, meetings, events, and resources to at least 1,200 parents/guardians of enrolled students and to enrolled students in the 5th grade and below. This program supports young children to build a strong foundation for their K-12 education and supports parents/guardians to be advocates in their child's current and future educational endeavors and their broader community. The multi-faceted Family Engagement Program supports participants across a number of focus areas that are associated with K-12 and postsecondary success, including Academic Enrichment, Advocacy and Empowerment, Financial Literacy, and Health & Wellness.

Early Scholarship Program

Learn about our Early Scholarship Program!

“The Early Scholarship Program” is an expansive, on-going incentive program that provides enrolled students with financial incentive awards directly to their CSAs. Further, Providence Promise can partner with families to help them grow their college savings, building a financial foundation for higher education and promoting generational wealth. First, Providence Promise provides a $100 seed incentive to each new CSA. Then, students can earn up to $250/month ($3,000/year) when they or their parents/guardians can participate in hundreds of qualifying, educational activities or behaviors. This model encourages data-driven strategies for present and future educational success, such as earning good grades, reading, or participating in school clubs. Meanwhile, parents/guardians help their child earn incentives when they attend a PTO or parent-teacher meeting, participate in advocacy and professional development, volunteer in the community, and much more.

Youth Engagement Program

Learn about our youth programs!

The Youth Engagement Program prepares middle and high school students and current college students for education beyond high school and the necessary steps leading up to high school graduation. Under this umbrella, the Mentorship Program offers Providence Promise students individualized guidance on college and career access topics from current college students. Additionally, youth are eligible for on-going college and career advising sessions, providing individualized support to students well before the 11th grade (which is when most college and career interventions begin). The new Alumni Program supports enrolled students who have graduated from high school as they persist in a higher education program.

Who can enroll?

Students in the Providence Public School system or in a Providence charter school from kindergarten through the ninth grade are eligible to enroll in PVD Promise. However, children in Providence are eligible to enroll in PVD Promise as early as birth, so if you live in Providence and your child is not yet old enough for school, you can enroll! We hope you'll join our growing community today.

JOIN WAITLIST

Want to learn more?

Review our (FAQ) Frequently Asked Questions for more information or contact us today!

FAQS

Our Team

PVD Promise staff includes seven full-time staff and a handful of outstanding part-time staff and volunteers.

Executive Director

Madalyn Ciampi

During the last eleven years she has spent in Providence, Madalyn has worked for a number of community and education based organizations including the Feinstein Institute for Public Service at Providence College and the Providence After School Alliance. As a first generation college graduate, Madalyn is particularly committed to work advancing access to and affordability of post-secondary education, topics which she focused on in her graduate studies. Madalyn has worked with the College Promise Campaign in Washington, D.C., and was a contributor to Civic Nation Voice on Forbes.com, focusing on Providence Promise and the power of Promise programs. Madalyn is passionate about family and community engagement, and believes that families and students must be at the center of this work, as well as in the Board Room. Madalyn received her bachelor's degree from Providence College and her Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy from Brown University.

Bilingual Family & Community Engagement Coordinator

Lucrecia Mendez

Lucrecia is originally from Guatemala. She has spent the last 12 years working in the tax preparation industry servicing, in large part, the Latinx community. Her passion is working with families and youth. She has served as a youth and family counselor for her church for the past 20 years and also serves as an interpreter in religious services as well as many community outreach events. During the pandemic, she ran a program called Project Compassion that serviced over 500 families by providing much needed grocery boxes every Saturday. Lucrecia is an adamant believer that education is key to transforming our communities and empowering them to overcome the challenges of today. She is eager to partner with the parents of Providence Promise to educate, motivate, and support the children to aspire to higher education and to thrive while doing so.

Development Director

Rachel Palumbo

Rachel believes that a quality education should be a guaranteed right for all young people regardless of financial means and can be a powerful tool for systemic change. During her time at Bentley University, Rachel became very involved in the service-learning center and became passionate about fighting the inequities experienced by youth and families in Waltham and across the country. After graduation, Rachel became president of the Prospect Hill Community Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates a free and accessible after-school program for Waltham's largest subsidized housing community. She is excited to bring her skills and experience to make an impact in Providence, RI. She has previous experience with Teach For America - MA, the Providence Public School District, Citizens, APA Associates, and the City of Providence. She resides in Massachusetts, where she enjoys coaching and playing soccer and tennis and spending time with her loved ones. She has a Master's in Urban Education Policy from Brown and a Bachelor's in Business Communications from Bentley University.

Bilingual Enrollment & Outreach Coordinator

Juan Rosales

A health care worker and professional with over 30 years of experience, Juan has worked predominantly with the immigrant communities in Rhode Island. He started his career with the homeless through shelters and the Providence Center. Juan finished his Associate degree work in Biology, Laboratory studies, and Psychology at Rhode Island College and with the Miriam Hospital. He is an Alumni of the Upward Bound, PEP, and Work-Study programs. While transitioning to a professional career, Juan continued to improve his bilingual skills and volunteer work focusing on real health issues of marginalized and low-income people in Providence. Juan has earned certifications as a health and legal interpreter, and used these skills as a parent leader for the dual-language program at Alfred Lima Elementary School. Most recently, Juan Interpreted for Governor Gina Raimondo during the COVID-19 pandemic. Juan is passionate about all his collective education and is looking forward to serving in his new role.

Bilingual Youth Engagement Manager

Jaelene Santos

Jaelene is a first-generation college student who is a strong advocate for affordability and accessibility to quality education. She obtained her bachelor's degree from The University of Rhode Island in Human Development and Family Sciences. She is passionate about working together with children and families to help empower and equip them for their stages of development. Jaelene chose to focus her undergraduate studies on family and community settings, as she believes healthy family involvement and access to equitable resources impact a child's likelihood to succeed. Jaelene loves to spend time traveling and sight-seeing, getting to know our community as well as other cultures. Jaelene is excited to be part of the Providence Promise team, and plans to make a positive impact on the families and youth that we serve through her work as the new Bilingual Youth Engagement Coordinator.

Family Engagement Director

Chandana Srinivas

Chandana began her journey within the field of education through a Masters program in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. She is passionate about students’ rights to accessibility and affordability, and hopes to embody these passions in her work towards educational equity. She is driven by the belief that quality education can empower students, especially those in marginalized communities, and pave the path to their success. Chandana hopes to ultimately be a part of reforming the system and creating policies that will uphold the principles of "no child left behind." She received her Bachelors from Chapman University in Strategic and Corporate Communications and her Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. In her spare time, Chandana enjoys reading, cooking and traveling!

Finance and Operations Coordinator

Meredith Kitson

Meredith is a recent graduate of Providence College, with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Business and Innovation. She is passionate about increasing equity for all people and has previously volunteered with Better Lives Rhode Island and House of Hope RI, working with people who are experiencing homelessness in Providence and surrounding areas. Meredith is extremely driven by helping others and believes that every student deserves options to pursue higher education after high school. In her spare time, Meredith enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She has lived in Rhode Island her whole life and is very excited to join the Providence Promise team as the Finance and Operations Coordinator.