Who We Are + History 

PrepareRI is an initiative of the Rhode Island state government, in partnership with businesses, schools, universities, and non-profits across the state.

United around a common plan

Our ambitious goals for students cannot be accomplished by any single agency or organization. With that in mind, PrepareRI is run by an inter-agency task force (“PrepareRI Core Team”) that includes the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), the Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB), and the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC). These three agencies, each bring a unique frame of reference to the interagency collaboration of PrepareRI. Consistent governance, shared goals, and a collaborative mission have made this initiative successful.

Lead agencies

PrepareRI's ambitious goals cannot be accomplished by any single agency or organization. With that in mind, PrepareRI is run by an inter-agency state government task force. This task force partners with Rhode Island’s employers and communities so that we can leverage our collective strength to achieve our collective goals. PrepareRI is a joint initiative of the following state government agencies:

• Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)

• Governor's Workforce Board (GWB)

• Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC)

The History of PrepareRI

• Rhode Island began developing the original PrepareRI action plan in April 2016, after it was awarded a Phase 1 New Skills for Youth Grant. New Skills for Youth (NSFY) was a $75 million initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase, in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Advance CTE. The program’s goal was to strengthen career-focused education, starting in high school and ending with postsecondary degrees or credentials aligned with high-skill jobs. 

• In January 2017, Governor Gina Raimondo and RIDE announced that Rhode Island had won a $2 million Phase 2 NSFY grant, making it one of only ten states nationally to earn the competitive grant. Rhode Island used that money—along with other state and federal funding streams—to implement the original PrepareRI plan.

• The original NSFY grant ended in June of 2020, but Rhode Island’s PrepareRI initiative was so successful that all participating agencies recommitted to the vision, shared work, and structures, and drafted the PrepareRI2.0 Action plan over the next year and a half. The PrepareRI 2.0 Action plan was approved as the state’s PreK-20 Strategic Education Plan by the statewide Board of Education in February 2022.