About Us.

Message from Our Board President

Dear Friends, 

The RI Welcome Back Center (RIWBC) is a private, nonprofit adult and workforce education center based in the South Side area of  Providence, RI, serving approximately 400 Rhode Islanders annually. 



Our mission is to assist low-income internationally educated professionals residing in our state in realizing their full potential through literacy, employment, advocacy, and community involvement. Our adult students are enrolled in several of our programs; the RIWBC Language Institute provides students with Contextualized language instruction in order to achieve English proficiency. Additionally, we offer a series of workshops yearly that range from the individual licensing processes and requirements for our professionals, the workforce culture in the US, to exploring alternative career pathways.

However, the backbone of the success in the work that we do is the one-on-one intensive case management model that we employ to ensure that all of our participants receive individualized, tailored services to fulfill their needs and accomplish their goals. 

The Center has a signature focus on minorities who are internationally trained professionals, employing innovative approaches to move individuals through the training and licensing pipelines and into jobs more quickly than traditional methods. We build bridges between the available pool of immigrant professionals living in our community and the need for a more linguistically and culturally diverse workforce. The RIWBC is one of 10 in the United States, and the only entity providing these unique services in RI. Since the RIWBC opened, 120 individuals have re-entered the professional workforce, 64 have passed licensing/certification exams, 175 individuals have had their credentials evaluated, and 290 have advanced in their English language learning. 

Most of the internationally trained professionals that come to the Center are unemployed or underemployed, have lost their sense of professional identity, and are desperate for any help we can give them that will allow them to regain their pride and provide for their families… many times they’ve lost HOPE. The work the RIWBC continues to do for the Rhode Island community is rewarding and impactful. However, we cannot do it without your help. Please consider making a donation small or large, to the RI Welcome Back Center today. Here are examples of what your donation can do: 

• Giving any amount can help with the general operating costs of the RI Welcome Back Center. 
• Giving $25 equals giving Hope. This pays the enrollment fee for one participant, beginning the process towards achieving their dreams. 
• Giving $50 equals giving Hope + Opportunity. This pays the enrollment fee for one member, plus one-month tuition for the Language Institute. 
• Giving $75 equals giving Hope + Opportunity + increased Employability. This pays for the enrollment fee for one participant, one-month tuition for the Language Institute, plus access to the workshops that will provide them with the tools to become more employable. 
• Giving $100 or above equals Hope + Opportunity + increased Employability + Certification. This level of a donation goes directly into our Sustaining Partnership Fund, which provides needs-based financial assistance to our participants, allowing them to pay for the high costs of credential evaluations, licensing fees, and exam materials and fees. This is the final step in the path towards workforce reentry. 

If you feel inspired to make a donation, it may be made by mailing a check or money order to our POBox 6879, Providence, RI 02904, or by credit via our PayPal account. All donations made to the RIWBC are completely tax deductible. 

We thank you for your support!

Sincerely, 

Manuela Raposo

RI Welcome Back Center Founding Partner

RI Welcome Back Center Board President

Why? Because I CAN. I CAN, so I SHOULD...and if I SHOULD, I WILL....so I AM.

 - Manuela Raposo