Our Community Builder In-Residence (CBIR) program brings joy, enthusiasm, suitability, and community-wide opportunities to our organization. The program provides a unique opportunity to serve the Woonsocket community. In exchange for serving 13 hours a week with 6th – 12th grade youth at the C3 Center, our incredible CBIRs live, work and enjoy the thriving city of Woonsocket with housing in a beautiful river-front converted Mill building.
Open Monday – Friday from 2-7pm throughout the school year and full days during the Summer, the C3 Center is home to neighborhood youth who attend the program entirely free of charge. The innovative CBIR bartering model helps us keep costs low while providing youth with a skilled and dedicated team of educators. While youth workers are often forced to hop from job to job due, the security of the year long contract and housing exchange provides stability to both the educator and the students.
Our amazing CBIRs provide small group English and math tutoring, homework focused groups, and enrichment classes. While focusing on a vast array of traditional educational subjects, students also take home increased knowledge surrounding entrepreneurship, community building, sports, multi-media art, an increased awareness of their own self identity, and education on the importance of healthy cooking. High School aged youth are supported with college prep through the Sure Track to College program.
Our CBIR Team
Ana-Paola Songs
A multi-talented international singer, songwriter, independent recording artist and entrepreneur, Ana-Paola Songs was born in Lisbon, Portugal and raised in South Providence. She attended Howard University and Roger Williams University, which helped her develop an eclectic taste in music. She was a touring member of Everett Dance Theatre for over ten years, creating original material and touring nationally with the company. In addition, she also taught Hip-Hop, World Rhythms and Vocal Performance/Stage Presence to youth at the Everett Company, Stage and school on the East Side of Providence. Currently, Ana-Paola Songs offers enrichment lessons in “Music & Entrepreneurship,” teaching youth “how to turn some of their hobbies into their hustle.” She’s shared the ways in which she has turned her passion for music into an income generating business. Together, Ana-Paola Songs and the kids have designed marketing and personal branding collateral such as business cards, logos, and t-shirts. Ana can be reached at asongscbir@nwbrv.org.
Charles Blackwell
Charles Blackwell‐Isler is a multi‐faceted creative educator, coach, trainer and mentor. He currently owns a professional basketball team (Rhode Island Kraken) and is one of the league Commissioners for the Rhode Island Midnight Basketball League. Charles has worked as a referee and a security guard. His strengths include networking, hosting events and connecting people. With a background running afterschool programs, Charles aims to use his gifts, resources, and experiences to inspire, encourage and empower. At his own program, Savvy Skills, Charles and his team focus on improving youth social skills and learning through play. They evaluate students performances and participation in activities, workshops, training, and during play. At the C3 Center, Charles helps students prepare themselves mentally and physically, for success in and outside of school. Charles can be reached at cblackwellcbir@nwbrv.org.
Nwando Ofokansi
Nwando first joined the NWBRV team as an AmeriCorps Summer VISTA in 2010. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in Sociology, Philosophy, and African & African Diaspora Studies, she returned to NeighborWorks as a full-year AmeriCorps VISTA. When her VISTA term of service ended, she decided to continue her work with this organization, so in 2014 she became a Community Builder-in-Residence (CBIR). At the NeighborWorks C3 Center, Nwando is the Adviser of the CRC’s Sure Track to College program. Through Sure Track, she mentors high school and college-aged students to prepare them for success in higher education and their future careers. Nwando’s background is in community development and public health. She earned a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership Strategy and a Masters Degree in Social Justice & Community Organizing. In much of Nwando’s work, she uses intersectionality and critical-race feminism to unravel the impact of culture, identity, and oppression on health outcomes. She hopes to continue building healthy and successful communities, and to one day have a house full of kittens. Nwando can be reached at nofokansicbir@nwbrv.org.
Payton Morse
Payton Morse is a 25-year-old creative from southern Maine. Having spent the last seven years living in Providence Rhode Island, she has found inspiration in the combination of culture and creativity that courses through the City. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Studio Art from Providence College, she went on to become a graduate assistant in DEI. Focusing on creating a safe and brave space for her peers, Payton’s time at Providence College was spent promoting asset-based community development. Payton’s goal at the C3 Center is to expose students to art as a way of exercising their brains and creativity is a valuable life skill. During her time as a CBIR, Payton will host an evening enrichment class on art as activism–namely, how art can be a voice. Payton can be reached at pmorsecbir@nwbrv.org.
Sara Monteiro
Sara Monteiro is an African/Cape Verdean/African America consultant. She is a proud Providence Native. She has worked to provide quality service to under-represented communities by way of education and community organizing. She is a business owner, consultant and artist. As a mother of two, Sara is passionate about creating and supporting fruitful programs for city youth. She is a URI alum with a background in African American Studies & Human Development, who currently serves as Co-Chair to URI’s Alumni of Color Network. Sara is passionate about serving and collaborating with community partners to create spaces for equal/diverse representation. Sara’s goal is to preserve culture and history through community. As a resident artist at CIC she produces art as a form of storytelling about her rich ethnic background as a 1st generation Cape Verdean. At the C3 Center, Sara teaches social emotional learning through poetry. Sara can be reached at smonteirocbir@nwbrv.org.
If you are interested in joining a community of youth development leaders, please reach out to either Brandon Soum at bsoum@nwbrv.org For more information on this incredible opportunity, please click here! To view our CBIR application please visit us online-applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
