PAWTUCKET – It was truly a captive audience, gathered for a good news event about the future of education in Rhode Island, a rare occurrence these days, held on Thursday afternoon, July 11, at the Pawtucket YMCA facility at 22 Summer St.

Some 40 kids, arriving by bus from summer camp activities, who are part of the Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative, sat and squirmed on chairs in the second-floor room of the agency, serving as the photogenic backdrop for United Way of Rhode Island and Hasbro to celebrate the investment of $459,600 in 13 programs in Rhode Island as a way to propel young learners to brighter futures.

“Putting community first, that is our mantra, that is our belief, that is embedded in everything that we do, by investing in Rhode Island kids and our future,” Cortney Nicolato, president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island, told the audience of early learners, which included a number of “bigger kids” representing staff from United Way, the Pawtucket Y and Hasbro. With some skill, Nicolato engaged with the kids, asking them to say thank you to Hasbro and cheer for themselves, too.

Summer learning, brighter futures
Handouts providing the facts and figures underlining the rationale for the summer learning program were readily available for any adults and news media attending.

In succinct graphics, the handouts documented what was called “the summer slide,” when children do not have opportunities to learn during the summer months. “Children from lower-income families often fall behind, while children from higher-income families spend their summers steadily building skills,” the brochure read.

Among the data points highlighted:

• Summer learning loss during elementary school accounts for two-thirds of the achievement gap in reading between children from lower- and middle-income families.

• Most students lose two months of math skills every summer. Children living in poverty can also lose two to three months in reading.

• Nine in 10 teachers spend at least three weeks re-teaching lessons at the start of the school year.

• 51 percent of families not participating in a summer program say they would if one was available to them, a data point shared from the podium as part of the speaking program by Nicolato.

Introducing Hasbro to the next generation
Kevin Colman, director of Global Philanthropy and Social Impact at Hasbro, spoke next, reintroducing his iconic firm to the next generation of consumers.

“Hi, everyone,” Colman began, saying that Hasbro was a global toys and entertainment firm. The firm, whose headquarters is in Pawtucket, for now, described itself in the news release as: “a global play and entertainment company committed to creating the world’s best play experiences, from toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products.”

“You know our toys and games,” Colman continued. “Monopoly. Play-doh.” Some of the kids cheered.

Colman told the kids [and the bigger kids] that Hasbro was happy to be able to fund this program of summer learning, with 13 sites serving more than 1,000 children. “This program provides a safe and comfortable place during the summer,” he said, something that wasn’t always the case at home.

“Is everybody having fun?” he asked, attempting to be interactive, with mixed results from the kids. Colman closed with his key point of messaging: “No matter where you live, and who you are, you can make a difference in your community.”

As Colman finished, Nicolato stepped up to the microphone, and said: “I think we should do a 1-2-3 thank you, Hasbro. What do you think?”

The kids roared back: “Thank you, Hasbro.”

Straight from the heart
The final speaker on the program was Reginald “Reggie” Jean, executive director of the Pawtucket Family YMCA, who began by thanking everyone – board members, staff, Hasbro, United Way, with a special call out to the kids in the room. “Most of all, I want to give a round of applause to the young people who are our future.”

Jean then shared his own personal story: “This program is even more important to me because my father grew up on a farm in Haiti, came over as an immigrant, and he never had any formal education in his life.”

His mother, Jean continued, who only had a high school education, had something equally important: “Her high expectations for her children; my mother knew the value of education, and the importance that education would have for our lives.”

Jean then closed with the most surprising moment of the event, something that was not included in the news release that was sent out afterwards, quoting from someone who Jean described as one of his role models, Malcolm X.

“Malcolm X said, ‘Education is the passport to the future.’ And, what we’re giving to young people [through this program] is the passport for their lives.”