Please join us in celebrating #GivingTuesday on November 29.
This year on #GivingTuesday we are kicking off fundraising for our 2017 free kids programming. As a cornerstone of the work that we do here, our kids programming reached over 5000 kids this past summer. Located in Burnside Park, across the street from Kennedy Plaza, this location helps us to reach children from all corners of Providence and Rhode Island, and all walks of life.
Through our unique outdoor program, children are exposed to the world of books. Our goal has always been to inspire a love of books, reading, and writing, as well as help combat summer learning loss. By offering a positive and creative experience in a park setting, families establish a connection to reading and also each other. We also put them in touch with other resources in our city such as the nearby public library and children’s museum.
Through this program, we work with our partner KidoInfo to provide an outlet for local artists to interact with kids in their community. Artists, authors and storytellers join us in the park for Storytime to read from their own books, books they’ve illustrated, or simply stories that inspire them. At Art in the Park, children work closely with accomplished local artist Ricky Katowicz to make art based on iconic children’s books. Our Open Air Reading Room is set up in our Imagination Center to provide space to relax with a book from our leave a book/take a book shelf, which contains books in both English and Spanish.
At Play in the Park, we work with Miss Katie of Playscience RI to develop weekly programs that introduce students to the joy of science through fun and interactive activities. From building instruments and having a musical parade around the park, to playing with vegetables to learn about the magic of seeds, these activities introduce science to children in fun and surprising ways.
Please help us make 2017 our best year ever. If you believe in the importance of the work we do, or have been to one of our programs, please consider making a tax-deductible donation now or on #GivingTuesday to help us continue this work. Gifts big and small will all go toward buying supplies, paying artists, hiring seasonal staff and the myriad of other details that go into making a successful summer for our city’s kids.
Thank you so much for your continued support.