Who we are

Established in 2001, the Paul Cuffee School (PCS) is an urban public charter school in Providence, Rhode Island, that serves a diverse community of students in grades K-12. Our academic and extracurricular programs are designed to prepare students for success both in school and in whatever path they choose to pursue after graduation.

Eighty-nine percent of the students we serve are minority students, which closely mirrors the population of minority students in all Providence public schools. Furthermore, our students typically come from disadvantaged families in the poorest sections of the city. Approximately 80 percent of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches from the National School Lunch Program.

Cognizant of the challenges that many of our students face, Paul Cuffee teaches its students to value and practice personal initiative, perseverance, and social responsibility through a rigorous academic program which — enriched with maritime experiences — fosters cooperation, creative and critical thinking, and the development of personal and social responsibility.

 What we offer

Paul Cuffee is a fast-paced, high-energy, and innovative environment that maintains an effective structure without being bureaucratic.  We work in partnership with a variety of organizations – community –based, higher education, business, etc. — that share our values of high expectations and an unwavering commitment to the students and families we serve.

Key needs

The founders of our maritime themed charter public school envisioned that the natural resources associated with Narragansett Bay and nearby waterways would contribute in substantive ways to the design and delivery of Paul Cuffee School’s K-12 college preparatory program and introduce our high poverty population to the diverse and vibrant environments, occupations and recreational opportunities beyond Providence’s urban landscape. We work in conjunction with our various partner organizations to deliver an inquiry-based, active, hands-on experiential educational program that takes place outside of the regular classroom. In addition, we’re always looking for:

• Opportunities to expose our majority minority student body to scientists (from a variety of fields) who look like them
• Graduate students to work with/guide seniors on their research projects
• Professional development opportunities for PCS faculty
• Guest speakers (Scientist of the Month) for student at K-12 levels
• Underwriting of transportation costs for experiential education field trips
• Support for afterschool STEM project

Contact

Maria Monteiro

Director of Institutional Advancement
Paul Cuffee School
459 Promenade St.
Providence, RI 02908
p: 401-453-2626 X 118
f: 401-453-4964

mmonteiro@paulcuffee.org
www.paulcuffee.org