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Making Connections


Providence has been chosen by the Annie E. Casey Foundation as one of 22 cities around the country to participate in its national initiative, Making Connections. Making Connections is intended to demonstrate how families, residents, and communities can succeed economically and socially when connected to the opportunities, resources, and support needed to raise healthy children. The Foundation has decided to focus its efforts in Providence in the West End/Southside neighborhoods. To learn more about the Casey Foundation's Making Connections Initiative visit their web site at www.aecf.org. Link to the Making Connections Providence website at www.mcprovidence.org.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is an active participant in the Providence Making Connections Initiative and the Providence Local Learning Partnership. Each Making Connections Site has established a Local Learning Partnership (LLP) to manage the information and evaluation strategy at that site. The Local Learning Partnership works with communities to improve community access to information, and enhance local capacity to use data for advocacy, planning, and decision-making. To learn more about the Providence Local Learning Partnership visit the website at the Providence Plan at www.provplan.org/html/projects/connections.html



MAKING CONNECTIONS NEWS

June 4, 2003: A new Census 2002 Brief on poverty in the United States finds that Providence ranks 4th in the nation for people living below the poverty level among cities with 100,000 population or more. Moreover, the percentage of people living in poverty in Rhode Island increased by 2.3 percentage points between 1989 and 1999. This is the third highest percentage point change in the country
Read the Census 2002 Brief here.

On September 28, 2002 approximately 200 residents, community leaders and service providers met in a day long retreat to brainstorm a group vision for the families and children in the community. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT staff participated in the retreat held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet which was successful in bringing residents togther with policy makers and other leaders to acheive a group vision for the children and families in the Making Connections neighborhoods. Since the retreat, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT has been an active participant with other retreat participants in working to shape the results of the retreat into outcomes for the next ten years and indicators to measure improvement in these outcomes. A Community Celebration was held on November 12, 2002 to celebrate the success of Making Connections so far and to share the results. For a copy of the Community Outcomes or to find out more about the community planning process contact Shannah Kurland, Making Connections Site Coordinator at 780-2255.



The Providence Local Learning Partnership released its report Residents and Data: Making the Connection on September 25, 2002. The report takes a detailed look at 3 Providence neighborhoods: South Providence, Elmwood and the West End. The report was prepared to inform neighborhood residents, community leaders, service providers and policy makers about the assets and needs of these Providence neighborhoods. It includes information in four major focus areas: Family Economic Success, Strong Social Networks, Quality Services and Supports and Immigrant and Refugee Concerns. The report was prepared by the Providence Local Learning Partnership. Data and research support were provided by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and The Providence Plan.
Get the Executive Summary in English or in Spanish.
Click here to read the report.
Click here to read the press release.

 



  
     
   
 
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