Superintendent Lynn Dambruch told Oakland Beach students Tuesday morning she had a “big surprise” for them as they sat crisscross on the floor of the all-purpose room. And, indeed, there was a giant-sized check with a lot of big numbers.

Yet it was the students who surprised state and local officials seated before them. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi was the first to remark on the attentive group of students who barely budged.

“I’ve never seen such well behaved students. I wish some of the members of the House were as behaved as you,” he said to laughs from Governor Dan McKee, Mayor Frank Picozzi, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, Senator Mark McKenney, Oakland Beach Elementary School Principal Paul Heatherton and Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick CEO Lara D’Antuono. The governor’s office arranged the press conference as part of the #RIReady budget tour to celebrate the 21 recipients of almost $4 million in grant funding aimed at expanding access to extended learning opportunities to improve student outcomes across Rhode Island.

Students may have reacted differently had they listened carefully and heard the words “extended learning.”

In a release McKee said, “To improve student outcomes, we are focused on shifting learning in Rhode Island from the traditional 180 school days to 365 days of learning, and we’re making the strategic investments to make it happen. In addition to the $4 million in federal funds RIDE is investing to support partnerships between local education agencies and community-based organizations, my administration has prioritized another $4 million in the #RIReady budget to expand supplemental high-quality learning experiences. By coming together and working closely with families, educators, and business and municipal leaders, we will make sure our students continue to move forward.”

Warwick was chosen for the announcement, as both Oakland Beach and Norwood Schools are recipients of grants written by Dr. Anne Siesel. Siesel was given rousing applause by teachers and school administrators for her part in securing the funds.

Following the press conference, D’Antuono said the program is targeted at 100 K-5 Oakland Beach students who would walk across the street to participate in the club’s program four days a week during the academic year. The program would start as soon as April 1 with 40 students and then expand to 100 in the fall when schools open. The program, funded with a total of $200,000 in federal and state grants, would run through June of 2024.

She said keys to the program are a coordinator who would work at both the school and the club and parent involvement to provide a “holistic approach to learning so no child falls between the cracks… I think the strategic coordinator is an integral part of the program.”

 “It’s focusing on the child from morning until night,” said D’Antuono. She said students would be provided dinner at Oakland Beach. She said a majority of the grant would be used to pay for teachers.

It’s not going to be all book work for the kids, either.

“It’s all about having fun,” she said of the club program. “If kids ever knew they were learning at the club, they would never come.”

“Rhode Island schools are partnering with community-based organizations across the Ocean State,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.

She said, “RICAS (Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System) from last year indicated that our students are heading in the right direction, in particular with promising scores in math, but we know a lot of work remains, and these programs will help close the gap. With a focus on year-round learning, we’re excited that communities will be offering academic and enrichment programs that will benefit students and that Governor McKee has committed an additional $4 million to these types of programs.”

With a rating of one star out of a possible five, Oakland Beach School was the lowest rated elementary school in the city. The stars are assigned based on student proficiency scores in math and English. Scott received the most stars of Warwick elementary schools with four. 

Applicants for the funds were asked to provide programming that reinforces and complements the school day through a broad array of enrichment activities and academic supports. Most of the programs funded through these grants will take place in school buildings during out-of-school hours, though a few are taking place in other nearby facilities. According to a press release, the club will provide homework help as well as Comprehensive Youth Development programs designed by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help students achieve positive outcomes in three priority areas: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.

Infante-Green didn’t leave the students out of her address. Hands flew up when she asked if they liked to learn and she got a chorus of $8 million when she asked the students what the total of funds was between the $4 million the governor is budgeting from ARPA funds and the $4 million already allocated in federal funds.

“That’s right guys. This is about you and investing in your future,” she said. She called the program just the beginning, adding “we don’t want to go back to where we were pre-pandemic, we want to exceed that.”

The program will contract with the Gamm Theatre to have a theater artist resident work with students in a program called PLAY (Promoting Literacy and Arts for Youth) at the Norwood TLC (Theater, Learning, Caring) Academy. It is designed to support at-risk youth in grades K-5. The Academy will run four days a week from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. starting in September 2023. Norwood staff will offer project-based classes in a variety of areas such as coding, robotics, inventions, and gardening.

In partnership with the Gamm, the program will have two artists who will offer classes in play production, improvisation, singing, movement, and clowning. The program specifically seeks to address the need for deeper literacy learning and will engage students in reading, writing, community building, and performance. The $150,000 grant will serve 100 students, including 5 multi-language learners.