Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence
The Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence provides sustainable financial support from Brown for initiatives that promote academic excellence and success for K-12 students in Providence.
Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence
The Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence provides sustainable financial support from Brown for initiatives that promote academic excellence and success for K-12 students in Providence.
The Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence is one element in a wide-ranging partnership between the University and the Providence Public School District.
The Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence is a permanent endowment established with $10 million that provides sustainable financial support from Brown University for initiatives that promote academic excellence and success for current and future generations of K-12 students in Providence.
As one element in a wide-ranging partnership between the University and the Providence Public School District, the fund advances initiatives each year to improve teaching and learning in local classrooms, ensure access to high-quality education for students and support a Turnaround Action Plan launched by the Rhode Island Department of Education and PPSD in June 2020.
History and Impact
The University established the Fund in 2007 as one outcome of a 2006 report issued by the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, which investigated the University’s historical relationship to the transatlantic slave trade. The committee recommended that, as one measure of restorative justice for the institution’s historic ties to racial slavery, Brown should formalize its commitment to improving the quality of education available to K-12 students in Providence. The public schools have a large portion of students from historically underrepresented groups.
The University established the Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence in 2007 as one outcome of a 2006 report issued by the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice.
Initial Awards
In 2009, Brown began awarding grants from the fund, ranging from $1,000 to $118,000 and supporting initiatives including library acquisitions, music instruction, reading interventions and the creation of a violence prevention curriculum. Four years later, the University and local education leaders shifted the fund’s focus, providing 20 scholarships of $2,500 each to graduating high school seniors in Providence annually. Awards were based on academic achievement and financial need, with a preference for students who would be the first in their families to attend college. Between 2013 and 2018, the fund provided $300,000 in scholarships to 120 college-bound students.
Support During a Crisis
In the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Brown provided $100,000 from the fund to deliver internet access to 900 student households for a full year as PPSD’s learners transitioned to remote instruction. A project that launched in summer 2020 supported through the fund transformed Hope High School’s library and media center into a 21st century learning environment for students in the Providence secondary school.
Continuing Investments
In July 2020, the Corporation of Brown University authorized the designation of $8.1 million in unrestricted University-endowed funds to complement $1.9 raised over the years from donor support for the fund, achieving the full funding goal established when the fund was launched. With $10 million in principal, Brown expects an initial payout of approximately $400,000 to $500,000 annually. While this serves as the core of consistent financial support, the University will continue to invest in a wide range of additional programs and initiatives that support Providence schools and students. A Public Education Committee established in 2020 and made up of representatives of the University and the local community is charged with recommending use of payouts from the Fund.
