Mayor Grebien to Implement Pawtucket Youth Commission to Help Empower Students Invites North Providence Youth Commission to discuss program with Pawtucket high schools

Pawtucket – In collaboration with the North Providence Youth Commission and the
Pawtucket Public School Department, a group from the student-led, student-run North
Providence Youth Commission (NPYC) made presentations at Tolman High School, Shea
High School and Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts, to
discuss their own program and encourage Pawtucket students to take part in this
initiative.

Charles Lombardi, Mayor of North Providence, joined Mayor Grebien as the NPYC
presented to the students at the three schools. Mayor Lombardi spoke of what the
program has meant to him and the Town of North Providence, while the students spoke
of the personal growth, sense of civic engagement and benefits of participation as
they were applying to college. Both the commission and Mayor Lombardi pointed to the
fact that participants in the program have even gone on to receive scholarships
based on their involvement with the Youth Commission. «Both the Town of North
Providence and the young people involved in this program have benefitted greatly
from this invaluable program,» said Mayor Charles Lombardi.

After a brief presentation outlining the group’s activities, members of the NPYC
then took turns providing personal testimony about the transformative program and
how it has impacted them personally.

«I really want the future leaders of Pawtucket to be engaged with their community
and for them to be able to have a voice and a seat at the table in regards to their
educational experience here in the City,» said Mayor Grebien of the initiative. «We
are looking engage with the students and empower them to be the change that they
want to see,» continued the Mayor.

After the presentation, students wishing to be involved in the program were
encouraged to sign up during their advisory periods in school. «Once we have sense
of how many students are interested in participating, we will decide on the best way
to implement the program here in Pawtucket,» said Mayor Grebien.