Providence’s Lack of Plastic Bag Ban Enforcement

by Emily Smith

On January 1, 2024, The Plastic Waste Reduction Act went into effect, making Rhode Island the twelfth state in the U.S. to ban single-use plastic bags. This may not seem like news, as 18 of Rhode Island’s 39 jurisdictions, including Providence, already had existing bag [...]

Where are Providence’s Missing Students?

por Jonathan Howard

In January, the Providence Public School District (PPSD) and the RI Department of Education (RIDE), which oversees the district, proudly shared updates on their “Newer and Fewer” school building renovation plan. The crux of the $500 million plan is to replace or renovate the district’s [...]

30% of Providence Public High School Seniors Expected to Receive Prestigious State Seal of Biliteracy in 2024

by Rebecca Klassen

Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, has said that “being multilingual opens doors for our students to compete globally.” He states that multilingualism is a superpower that gives students more options in life. In keeping with this, the Seal of Biliteracy was officially recognized [...]

Courageous RI: Teaching Us to Talk (And Listen) To One Another

by Pam Steager

“I’m going to do it with my brother. We haven’t spoken in five years,”  declared Providence resident and attorney Elayne Burke.  She was talking about a process called “looping for understanding” which she had learned and practiced in the Courageous Conversation regarding High Conflict. Burke [...]

The Studentification of Wanskuck

by Roseanne Camacho

If you have lived in Providence for a long time and love the city, what would drive you away? Noisy neighbors? Illegal parking? Dangerous drivers? For Michael Veracka, living for decades in the Wanskuck neighborhood, it was “chronic illegal dumping” in the lot next door. [...]

Providence Singers to Perform Considering Matthew Shepard – an Uncommon Musical Work for Uncertain Times

by Joe DeMarco

In the little-known world of the choral arts, The Providence Singers serve as a benchmark for southern New England. Headquartered in East Providence, this 80+ member ensemble has delivered countless impeccable performances of intricate music over the last decade. Collaborations with the Rhode Island Philharmonic [...]

RI Nature Video Festival and Compost Conference Coming to RIC

by Greg Gerritt

About 11 years ago, I started making nature videos and putting them up on YouTube.  I started out videotaping Fowler’s Toad tadpoles and their breeding cycle and development, but pretty soon I was videoing every type of animal I could find in Providence, mostly filming [...]

Noise is the New Smoking

by Paula Donovan and John Wilner

Whether it’s the frame-rattling, wall-penetrating bass of car stereos with over-sized subwoofers, the growl of modified mufflers, the inescapable day- (and often night-)long blare of house parties, the grating drone of leafblowers, or the sleep-depriving inundation of dangerously high volume levels from nearby entertainment venues, [...]

“I don’t think our opinion matters to the people making decisions:”  Providence Plans to Close 360 High School

by Catlin Preston

Questions are many and answers are few for the staff and students of 360 High School. After they received the news that Providence Public School District (PPSD) plans to close their school, they have been given little information to help them understand why their school [...]

Nation’s First State-Regulated Overdose Prevention Center To Open in Providence

by Project Weber / RENEW Team

The overdose crisis is a national epidemic, claiming the lives of over 100,000 people per year – more than gun violence and traffic accidents combined .  With over 434 Rhode Islanders who died in 2022, many of us are connected – either directly or indirectly-  [...]