The Back to School Celebration of Rhode Island (BTSCRI) is a 501 C3 non-profit organization created to involve parents in the education of their children, thereby helping to create an atmosphere of trust and open communication between schools, students and families. Educational achievement and parental involvement are at the core of our mission. The organization provides for an often overlooked part of school readiness for children – access to school supplies. It is evident that poverty and family stress are the center of a student's ability to achieve. Our Programs: Annual Back to School CelebrationThe Back to School Celebration of Rhode Island organizes twelve (12) community-based sites across Rhode Island. In a single day our volunteers distribute backpacks and school supplies to 16,000 students and provided families with a day filled with educational information, resources, entertainment, food and music. The Back to School Celebration actively engages families in their children's education and provides students with the tools they need to start a new school year.Backpacker ProgramThe Back to School Celebration of Rhode Island strives to address hunger and provide families in need access to nutritious food through our Backpacker Program. Every week during the school year, over 250 students in Providence Schools are provided with backpacks filled with nutritious food. The program helps to address food insecurities, ensuring families have access to food over the weekend, filling gaps left by school meal programs. This program is funded by generous donations.