Providence Student Union

Youth organizing & leadership program: psu works to advance educational justice and support high school students well-being by building youth power, organizing for policy change, and dismantling barriers to high- quality, culturally-affirming education for bipoc youth in Providence. Psu supports youth members by providing leadership training and mentorship, offering educational workshops, providing an inclusive and welcoming space for students to gather after school, and supporting students well-being. During the 2023-24 fiscal year, our youth leadership team (lt) continued to develop as the organizations key decision-making body (and part-time youth staff). Our lt members have gone on to take various leadership roles, facilitate a variety of workshops, coordinate events, speak at large gatherings, represent psu in coalition spaces, and impact hundreds of their peers. In recognition of their hard work and dedication, we awarded the 2024 psu youth leadership scholarship award to six graduating lt members. Lt hosted a wide variety of educational workshops and events for youth during the year. In fall 2023, we moved into a new, larger space to better accommodate our growing organization and varied educational programs. After we moved, we hosted a new space party to introduce students to the location as well as our programs. Throughout the year, we offered a variety of workshops that delved into topics of interest for our students and joyful events that celebrated our youth leaders diverse cultures. In february 2024, we hosted our annual know your rights youth conference to delve into civics and Student rights, envision changes to school policy, and learn from each other. Through our campaigns and coalition work, we advanced our vision for educational justice, as reflected in our Student bill of rights (sbor). With our partners in Providence alliance for Student safety (pass), we continued to grow the movement for police-free schools and a positive vision of Student safety/support. In november 2023, rhode island kids count recognized pass at the annual celebration of childrens health & wellness with a covering all kids award for our coalitions advocacy surrounding more mental health support in schools. In 2024, we recommitted to the our schools pvd (ospvd) coalition through their formal leadership structure for partners and supported the ospvd campaign for ethnic studies/ anti-racist curriculum. Following months of advocacy, the Providence school board unanimously passed ospvds ethnic studies resolution. In may 2024, ospvd held a rally and teach-in calling on the ppsd administration and ride to implement the resolution. Psu hosted the teach-in in our space with more than 70 attendees. With our partners in the Providence streets coalition and save ripta campaign, we organized to adequately fund our states public transit system and prevent severe service cuts that would make it hard for ppsd students to attend school. Finally, with the impending closure of 360 high school and ppsds plans for further consolidation on the horizon, we supported Student leaders fighting to save 360 high school and started developing the save our schools campaign to counter ongoing threats of public school closures and school privatization.

Well-being aid (wb) program: the well-being aid (wba) is a mutual aid program that is directed by psu youth, specifically the wba task force. While psu works towards systemic change in Providence schools and beyond, we recognize that students are organizing under tough economic circumstances and that immediate issues can derail youth in their academic and organizing pursuits. Through the wba fund, Providence high school students can apply for up to 600 in funds or in-kind support for food, transportation, rent, educational resources, utilities or other bills, and other essentials. We aim to respond to significant needs that are not being addressed through other resources or programs. The wba fund is open to Providence students currently enrolled in public high schools (including public charter schools) as well as psu staff and very recent alumni. Psu provides information on the fund through our website, social media, partner organizations, and events. Students can apply for support through a short, confidential online application. The youth-led wba task force carefully reviews the anonymized applications and determines whether the requests can be granted. During the 2023-24 fiscal year, psu received 83 wba applications and granted 21,359 to 41 recipients.