R.I. Department of Education appoints
23 PrepareRI ambassadors

PROVIDENCE – The state Department of Education has named 23 PrepareRI ambassadors, a group of educators and community leaders who are expected to guide the state’s effort to build career pathways for Rhode Island’s youths over the next 10 months.

The 2019 ambassadors will use their perspectives and skills to advise the PrepareRI cross-agency team, create resources and trainings to help their colleagues working in education and career preparation, and serve as spokespeople for the initiative.

They will work part-time and earn a stipend. The program begins in September and ends next June. The Department of Education received 78 applications and conducted 48 interviews before selecting the 23 ambassadors.

“These new ambassadors bring the energy and creativity we need to improve education and career preparation for all students of all backgrounds across the state,” Angélica Infante-Green, commissioner of elementary and secondary education, said in a news release. “I look forward to working with them over the next year as we improve student outcomes and create new career opportunities for a generation of Rhode Islanders.”

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PrepareRI is a statewide initiative to prepare Rhode Island youths with the skills they need for well-paying jobs. It represents a partnership between the state government, private-industry leaders, the public education system, universities and nonprofits across the state. PrepareRI launched in 2016, after Rhode Island was awarded a $2 million New Skills for Youth grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Each of the 2019-2020 PrepareRI ambassadors will work on a particular focus area:

  • Advanced Coursework: Caitlin Broccoli, University of Rhode Island career education specialist
  • Advanced Coursework: Ann Durham, Providence After School Alliance deputy director
  • Alternative Learning Plans: Jenelle Davis, Rhode Island Alternative Academy career coordinator
  • Arabic Community: Melanie Magdow, Marhaba language expert and consultant
  • Career Exploration: Lori LeBrun, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School counselor and Rhode Island School Counselors Association president
  • Career and Technical Education Board of Trustees: Lynne Bedard, Ponaganset High School career coordinator and Roger Williams University director of CTE teacher certifications
  • Career and Technical Education Equity: Rosemary Miner, Nowell Leadership Academy science educator
  • Computer Science for Rhode Island (CS4RI) Data: Ann Larson, Middletown High School preengineering and computer science teacher
  • CS4RI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Alison Murray, Central Falls High School Teacher/Principals Leadership team member
  • CS4RI Program Development: Charlie McLaughlin, Rhode Island College professor of technology education
  • CS4RI Program Development: Jay Fogelman, University of Rhode Island School of Education associate professor
  • English Language Learners: Tricia Kelly, Nowell Leadership Academy English language program coordinator
  • FAFSA & College Financial Aid: Yaruska Ordinola, Office of R.I. Postsecondary Commissioner financial aid assistant
  • Individual Learning Plans: Stacy Haines-Mayne, Exeter-West Greenwich High School student support specialist
  • Individual Learning Plans: Jael Lopes, Providence Public School District director of office strategic partnerships
  • Spanish-Speaking Community: Soljane Martinez, Soljane Martinez Consulting LLC educational strategies consultant
  • Parent Engagement: Stacy Monteiro Mendes, R.I. Department of Health clinical laboratory scientist
  • Portuguese/Cape Verdean Community: Carla Barbosa, Pawtucket Public Schools school counselor
  • Postsecondary Connections: Deana Golini, Cranston High School West guidance counselor
  • Students with Disabilities: Cindy VanAvery, North Providence School District director of special education
  • Urban Core: Carlon Howard, Breakthrough Providence co-director
  • Work-Based Learning: Stephanie Shields, Toll Gate High School graduation by proficiency coordinator
  • XQ+RI: Julia Carlson, Fall River School District assistant superintendent (former Central High School principal in Providence)