Education Partners

Boys and Girls Club of Newport County

BGC of Newport County is committed to providing a safe haven for kids and teens on Aquidneck Island where they could find encouragement toward bright futures.

NBS works with BGC to connect Newport County-based youth with a variety of our Education programs, increasing the accessibility and reach of our programming.

Coyote Smarts

CoyoteSmarts is an Aquidneck-Island-based public information initiative. Its mission is three-fold: to increase public awareness of coyotes, promote public and pet safety, and encourage best coyote engagement practices.

As a founding member of CoyoteSmarts, NBS works in collaboration with Potter League for Animals, Aquidneck Land Trust, The Conservation Agency, and RI Natural History Survey to raise public awareness about coyotes on Aquidneck Island and other areas throughout the state. On campus, visitors can explore the Coyote Corner exhibit in the Curiosity Lab or register for upcoming educational programming focused on the local coyote population for further education on the topic.

FabNewport

Grounded in positive youth development, FabNewport ensures youth have equitable access to the opportunities, resources and relationships so they can thrive today and in the future.

NBS is a proud member of FabNewport’s All Course Network program, a statewide course catalog that lets students take free courses at colleges, schools, or online, through our Surf and Turf Conservation program.

Jamestown Housing Authority

The Jamestown Housing Authority provides stable, quality affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income families throughout the local community.

NBS works with Jamestown Housing Authority to connect Jamestown-based youth with a variety of our Education programs, increasing the accessibility and reach of our programming.

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is a central service provider for at-risk individuals, families, and seniors in Newport County. An independent nonprofit, the MLK Community Center fights hunger, promotes health, educates young and school-aged kids, supports families, and engages seniors.

Through our Good Gardens, NBS is able to donate over a ton of volunteer-grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, and cut flowers to the MLK Community Center annually. The Sanctuary received a 2022 Best Practice Award from the Rhode Island Foundation in honor of the enduring success of this partnership.

Middletown Child Opportunity Zone

The Middletown Child Opportunity Zone (MCOZ) is a member of a network of ten COZ sites across the state. COZs follow the National Community Schools model, creating partnerships among families, schools, and the community to coordinate comprehensive academic, social and health/wellness services for students and their families, resulting in improved educational outcomes for children.

NBS works with MCOZ to connect Middletown-based youth with a variety of our Education programs, increasing the accessibility and reach of our programming.

Middletown Outreach Department

Middletown Outreach Department support the efforts and meet the needs of all community members by delivering enrichment, guidance, and wellness opportunities.

NBS works with Middletown Outreach Department to connect Middletown-based youth with a variety of our Education programs, increasing the accessibility and reach of our programming.

Newport County YMCA

NCYMCA is a non-profit organization of people of all ages, ethnic origins, religious affiliations and socio- economic levels, committed to significantly improving and positively influencing the quality of life and social well being for our members, our families and our community.

Salve Regina University

In collaboration with Dr. Jameson Chace, Salve Regina Conservation Biology students have conducted extensive research across the NBS campus, including a comprehensive overview of invasive species and a water quality assessment. Students have also collaborated with NBS to install Bird Boxes, collect data and identify bird species, and analyze and prepare data for the public.

 

Star Kids

The Star Kids Scholarship Program provides educational opportunities in the form of tuition aid to effective non-public schools, uniforms, after-school and summer programs, tutoring and mentoring for those high risk, low-income children who have a parent with a history of incarceration and/or substance abuse.

In collaboration with the organization’s Scholarship Program, Norman Bird Sanctuary has awarded hundreds of scholarship awards to active Star Kids.

Tomaquag Museum

Tomaquag Indigenous Museum, one of the oldest tribal museums in the country and Rhode Island’s only Indigenous-led museum, is dedicated to educating the public about Indigenous history, culture, and arts.

URI SMILE Program

SMILE (Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences) is a statewide after-school STEM program for 4th-12th graders, focusing on creative problem-solving and promoting higher education for underrepresented students. The initiative offers professional development for Rhode Island teachers and hosts community events like Family Science Nights. Students are also granted the opportunity to collaborate with University of Rhode Island mentors on annual projects and contribute to global stewardship efforts.

Through Dr. Evan Preisser’s NSF funding, Norman Bird Sanctuary is able to collaborate with SMILE to host regular field trip programs for students involved in the program.  

Garden Partners

Aquidneck Community Table

Aquidneck Community Table works in many ways to build a vibrant food system on Aquidneck Island: distribution of fresh foods at our farmers markets, education in school and community gardens, programs that inspire young people to love nutritious foods.

NBS is an active participant in Aquidneck Community Table, which connects our team directly to clients from a variety of local community organizations.

Fall River Deaconess Home

The Fall River Deaconess Home is a vibrant, dynamic agency, that provides cutting-edge, comprehensive treatment services to youth and families in need and remains true to founding principles.

Looking Upwards

Looking Upwards is a private, nonprofit agency offering a wide array of services to adults with developmental disabilities and children and youth with special healthcare needs on Aquidneck Island.

In addition to extensive volunteering in the Good Gardens, Looking Upwards has an ongoing programmatic collaboration with NBS through our Adaptive Walks series.

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is a central service provider for at-risk individuals, families, and seniors in Newport County. An independent nonprofit, the MLK Community Center fights hunger, promotes health, educates young and school-aged kids, supports families, and engages seniors.

Through our Good Gardens, NBS is able to donate over a ton of volunteer-grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, and cut flowers to the MLK Community Center annually. The Sanctuary received a 2022 Best Practice Award from the Rhode Island Foundation in honor of the enduring success of this partnership.

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and protection of Rhode Island’s native plants and their habitats.

Norman Bird Sanctuary participates in the Re-Seeding Rhode Island Initiative, a five-year plan to increase the availability of plants grown from locally sourced wild native seeds collected in Rhode Island.

Sankofa Community Connection

Sankofa Community Connection works to increase pride of place within the African American Community of Newport County, through community gatherings to promote social cohesion, discussions of institutional racism and racial oppression to promote dialogue and create solutions to the issues, and historical education to reveal, honor and celebrate the cultural heritage of African Americans of early Newport.

 

URI Master Gardener Program

The URI Master Gardener Program was established in 1977 to educate citizens in environmentally-sound gardening practices through the dissemination of factual, research-based information. Through a train-the-trainer approach, over 800 volunteers serve as community-based educators, amplifying the impact of Cooperative Extension to improve environmental quality and build healthy communities throughout Rhode Island.

Volunteer URI Master Gardeners completely rebuilt and redesigned the Good Gardens in 2017, creating an engaging teaching garden that models best practice in organic gardening. The Good Gardens partnership between Norman Bird Sanctuary and the URI Master Gardeners plays an important role as part of our 300-acre outdoor classroom.

Conservation Partners

Aquidneck Stone Wall Initiative

The Aquidneck Stone Wall Initiative is a joint effort led by The Preservation Society of Newport County and Preserve Rhode Island, aimed to protect and improve Aquidneck Island’s scenic quality by preserving its historic stone walls. By engaging volunteers in the art and craft of dry laid stone masonry, the Initiative encourages participatory preservation efforts across Rhode Island’s historic landscapes.

Norman Bird Sanctuary has served as a volunteer site with the Stone Wall Initiative since 2020, offering a prime opportunity for experiential education and hands-on historic preservation. Since the site’s pilot year, a dedicated crew of volunteers has repaired over 1,000 linear feet of wall across the NBS campus under the direction of master stone waller Robert Faraone.

Preserve Rhode Island

Preserve Rhode Island is the only statewide non-profit working to protect historic places through advocacy, stewardship, and preservation programs. Our mission is to protect and activate historic places for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.

In collaboration with Aquidneck Stone Wall Initiative and The Preservation Society of Newport County, Preserve Rhode Island supports the Sanctuary’s efforts to repair miles of stone walls across the NBS campus and directly engages and manages the project’s volunteers.

Salve Regina University

In collaboration with Dr. Jameson Chace, Salve Regina Conservation Biology students have conducted extensive research across the NBS campus, including a comprehensive overview of invasive species and a water quality assessment. Students have also collaborated with our Conservation Crew, Properties and Education teams to install Bird Boxes, collect data and identify bird species, and analyze and prepare data for the public.

Organizational Partners

Aquidneck Land Trust

The Aquidneck Land Trust’s mission is to preserve Aquidneck Island’s open spaces and connect people with lands that define the Island’s natural character.

Potter League for Animals

The Potter League for Animals is Rhode Island’s go-to animal care and resource center, where we provide shelter, veterinary care, behavior training, spay & neuter, owner assistance programs, humane education, and the opportunity for thousands of animals to find loving homes each year.

Town of Middletown, RI

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is an agency of the federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island

The Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island is a 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to the care of injured and orphaned wildlife since 1994. WRARI also oversees the operation of The Wildlife Clinic of R.I., which is the only medical/rehabilitation facility in the state for wildlife.

Interested in collaborating with NBS?

We are always looking to broaden the scope and deepen the impact of our work through meaningful partnerships.