RISD POD Program

For young people across Rhode Island, access to high-quality arts education can be a defining factor in whether creative talent is nurtured—or goes unexplored. Through Project Open Door (POD), Rhode Island School of Design has spent more than twenty years using art education as a tool to expand opportunity, build confidence, and help students envision new futures. The White Family Foundation’s support reflects a long-standing and deeply aligned partnership rooted in a shared commitment to access, equity, and creative possibility.

As POD Director Lauren Allen shared, the Foundation’s investment reaches far beyond a single program. It strengthens connections across peer organizations, reinforces a more equitable arts ecosystem statewide, and ensures that young people—particularly those who may not otherwise have access—can explore their creativity and imagine themselves in creative careers.

“For POD, their support expands youth’s access to explore their creativity and envision new futures. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to POD youth and to the creative potential of Rhode Island’s next generation.”

The long-term impact of this work is reflected in the stories of POD alumni. One powerful example is Hannah Falvey, now a multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer for the Providence Parks Department. Hannah credits POD as the catalyst that gave her the confidence to pursue art in college and beyond.

“By then, I was pursuing my BFA at Rhode Island College, something I never would have had the confidence to do without POD. Project Open Door was the catalyst for my decision to pursue art in college. It changed my life, plain and simple.”

Moments like these underscore the importance of sustained investment in arts education—not only during high school, but across the arc of a young person’s development. Support from donors like the White Family Foundation enables POD to document and share outcomes through digital portfolios, alumni tracking, assessments, and ongoing relationships with former students. This visibility helps tell a fuller story about the lasting impact of arts education and demonstrates how consistent support translates into measurable results.

Those outcomes are striking. Over the past six years, 100 percent of POD participants have graduated from high school—well above the statewide average and significantly higher than graduation rates in the districts POD serves. More than 90 percent of students have gone on to post-secondary education, with an average of 70 percent pursuing majors in art and design. Since 2005, dozens of POD alumni have graduated from or are currently enrolled at RISD, while many others continue creative studies elsewhere.

POD’s impact also ripples outward, engaging undergraduate and graduate students as teaching assistants and paid teaching artists, strengthening the pipeline of educators and mentors who support the next generation of creatives. Through scholarships, pre-college programs, and sustained mentorship, POD builds pathways that extend far beyond the studio.

The White Family Foundation’s focus on the arts plays a vital role in making this work possible. By investing in access to creative education, the Foundation strengthens the cultural vitality of Providence and surrounding communities while ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the space, tools, and encouragement to explore their talents.

Through its partnership with RISD and Project Open Door, the White Family Foundation is helping ensure that art education is not a privilege, but a pathway—one that empowers young people to build confidence, pursue their goals, and carry the impact of creative learning with them for a lifetime.

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