Each year, the Swearer Center's Community Advisory Board presents annual awards to Rhode Island community-based agencies that demonstrate innovative approaches and meaningful impact in serving local communities. In the past, organizations have been recognized for work that inspires community joy and resilience, supports diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racist practice and creates a positive impact for vulnerable Rhode Islanders.

From a very strong pool of nominees, the Swearer Center's Community Advisory Board (CAB) selected three community organizations to be recipients of the 2024 CAB Awards: Shades of Knowledge, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley’s Mary A. Longtin C3 Center, and the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ) as award recipients. Recognized at Swearer Center’s 2024 Community Celebration, each of these organizations exemplifies innovation, commitment and deep community engagement.

Highlighting Our 2024 CAB Award Winners

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) is made up of diverse community stakeholders who provide valuable insight and guidance on the Swearer Center’s community engagement initiatives. In April 2024, the recipients of this year’s CAB Awards were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Rhode Island communities.

With nominations submitted by community members, the CAB selected one awardee in each of three key areas:

• Community Joy and Resilience – Mary A. Longtin C3 Center
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racist Practice – Shades of Knowledge
• Impact and Access for Vulnerable Rhode Islanders – Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice

Mary A. Longtin C3 Center

In Woonsocket, the Mary A. Longtin C3 Center provides middle and high school students with a free, year-round safe space to learn, grow and connect. Open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., as well as during school breaks, the center serves students from grades 6-12 in Woonsocket and surrounding communities.

The C3 Center is designed to be a hub of academic and personal development. Featuring a computer lab, a small kitchen, an environmental lab and two classrooms, it ensures that students have access to the resources they need to succeed. The center’s programming includes:

• Academic Support: Daily homework help, tutoring and direct communication with teachers and parents. The Sure Track to College program helps high school students prepare for higher education, offering SAT prep, financial aid guidance and college application support.
• Mentorship: Every middle school student is paired with a youth program teacher who provides personalized guidance.
• Enrichment Opportunities: STEAM-based courses such as Songwriting, Canvas Chronicles and Home Economics 101, as well as arts, music and community engagement projects.
• Healthy Meals: The center provides free snacks and meals, accommodating allergies and dietary needs.
• Summer Learning Initiative (SLI): A program for students in grades 6-9, offering academic support and hands-on enrichment activities like gardening, community service and physical wellness with the opportunity to earn weekly stipends for participation.

Beyond these structured programs, the C3 Center serves as a place of belonging for its students. "This program was everything to us," shared Johannalie, a former participant who now gives back as a mentor. "It wasn’t just about academics—it was about finding a place where we belonged, where we could explore new hobbies and where we felt supported."

One of the center’s biggest challenges is transportation accessibility, which limits enrollment for students who do not live within walking distance. The team is actively working on partnerships to increase transportation options and expand the center’s reach to more students. As a free program, the center relies on creative funding solutions—leveraging partnerships with local organizations, schools and NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley's affordable housing initiatives to sustain its impact.

Learn more about Mary A. Longtin C3 Center here. 

Shades of Knowledge

Shades of Knowledge is a local organization dedicated to increasing access to representative literature for young readers and ensuring that students of color see themselves reflected in the books they read. Founded by high school seniors Keira and Makayla Boxell of Portsmouth and Jully Myrthil of Providence, Shades of Knowledge grew out of their own life experiences and love for reading.

Jully, a lifelong reader, recalls that she didn’t see a book featuring a character who looked like her until high school. “That was the first time I realized I could be the main character of my own story,” she shared in an interview with the Swearer Center. This realization fueled her passion to ensure younger students don’t have to wait that long to feel represented. Keira and Makayla’s experiences during a leadership trip to South Africa reinforced their commitment to this work. “We visited schools and after-school programs, and students were so passionate about learning—but they didn’t have the books to support their love of reading,” Keira shared in a May 2024 interview with the Portsmouth Times. Seeing that need firsthand, the trio launched Shades of Knowledge with an initial book drive, shipping 150 books to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Since then, the organization has expanded its reach significantly, collecting and distributing nearly 500 books to underserved communities in South Africa and Guatemala. Their international relations coordinator, Zainabou Thiam, personally delivered books to an orphanage in Guatemala. 

“When the teacher took out the books, the students were SO excited.” Jully shared, “A lot of the students were bilingual and learning English. They were so excited to see books that reflected their culture and lived experience. We were able to see that impact and it was empowering and motivational.”

Shades of Knowledge has also built strong partnerships to expand its reach. Amazon’s Fall River facility and its Black Employee Network donated over 200 books and employees there were deeply engaged in the mission, using internal rewards programs to purchase books for the cause. The organization also held a successful fundraiser, Black Art Through the Ages, at the Black Lives Matter Rhode Island office in Pawtucket. Sponsored by the Providence branch of the NAACP, the event highlighted the connection between literature and art while supporting Shades of Knowledge’s continued work.

Looking ahead, the organization is working to develop a peer literacy and reading comprehension program in Rhode Island, beginning in Providence with plans to expand statewide. They envision a model where college students mentor younger readers, helping to instill a love of reading outside of school. “It’s so important that kids develop a love for reading because it sets them up for success in the future,” Keira said. The organization is also actively working to overcome the logistical and financial challenges of shipping books internationally, exploring partnerships with philanthropic organizations to support their growing impact.

Learn more about Shades of Knowledge and how you can support their work at shadesofknowledge.org. 

Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ)

Founded in 2020, Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ) trains and mobilizes college students to provide pro bono legal support to asylum seekers while advocating for systemic change. By prioritizing student leadership and cross-peer mentorship, SCIJ aims to ensure that students involved gain legal skills and a deeper understanding of immigration issues and policy.

In its first three years, SCIJ trained 119 college students across three universities and, in partnership with immigration attorneys in both the nonprofit and private sectors, SCIJ volunteers provided pro bono legal support to 246 asylum seekers and connected 122 immigrants with essential social services.

SCIJ partners with the Watson Institute’s Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies, providing Brown University students with opportunities to engage in immigration advocacy. Through SCIJ’s Law & Immigration Training Program, students gain foundational knowledge of immigration law while offering direct legal assistance to asylum seekers in partnership with organizations like Innovation Law Lab and Al Otro Lado. Currently, two Swearer Center students are working with SCIJ through their Bonner Community Fellowship.

In Spring 2024, SCIJ partnered with the Community-Engaged Data & Evaluation Collaborative, an initiative of the Swearer Center, through the Watson Institute course, What Works: Evaluating the Impact of Social Programs, to enhance its evaluation strategies. Goldman highlights how the project completed through the semester-long course projects improved community organizing data collection, leading to a proposed alum impact survey that can track long-term outcomes of SCIJ’s training and an evaluation framework for a pilot program, ensuring a structured approach to assessing and refining initiatives.

For Brown University student and SCIJ intern Karen Mestizo ’27, the work is deeply personal: "It was so impactful to feel like my work was real, that I really helped. I am making a change, even if it’s one person at a time." SCIJ’s work extends beyond legal advocacy, also addressing challenges related to mental health, job access and financial literacy. Working with universities to strengthen resources for undocumented and international students, SCIJ advocates for greater financial aid, mentorship opportunities and institutional support.

Learn more about SCIJ and getting involved at scijimmigration.org.