Providence Schools Holding Cleanups Before New School Year

PROVIDENCE, RI — Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Providence school department are looking for volunteers to help clean up the city's schools ahead of the new year. The two cleanup events will be held on Friday, August 23, and Saturday, August 24, at several schools throughout the city.

"Providence is a community that cares," Elorza said. "We want to welcome our students on September 3rd to facilities that inspire them to learn. Though there are a number of advancements that we can make for our school community in the short term we know the full transformation we seek will take time and collaboration and we want all members of our community to be a part of every step of the process."

The cleanups come at a time of change for Providence schools. Just last week, Dr. Frances Gallo was appointed interim superintendent, and, in June, a scathing report by the Johns Hopkins Institute For Education Policy detailed crumbling buildings, failing students and little actual learning across the board.

The All In: Our School Facilities Community Cleanups will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on August 23 and 24. Volunteers will clean and make improvements to schools around the city in preparation for the first day of school on September 3.

According to the city, these projects will build on $20 million in improvements made to the schools throughout the spring and summer months.

Volunteers are asked to dress comfortably and wear closed-toed shoes or sneakers. Anyone under 18 will need to have a waiver signed. Supplies will be provided.

Friday's cleanups will be at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Young Woods Elementary School. On Saturday, cleanups will be at Anthony Carnevale Elementary School, the Classical High School quad, Central High School, and the Providence Career and Technical Academy. If either day is rained out, cleanups will be rescheduled to Sunday.