XQ WaterFire

Since 2019, XQ and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) have partnered with local communities to transform their high schools. For two years, XQ and RIDE have come together at WaterFire to celebrate student success stories, teacher accomplishments, and community engagement.

This year, XQ hosted the XQ+RI Teacher’s Lounge on the Washington Place Bridge to celebrate the tremendous work of Rhode Island’s educators. We opened the floor to teachers to share their insights and ideas about rethinking high school. We broke bread with the community and asked them to share what “future-ready” means.

XQ+RI is a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative powered by a partnership between the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and XQ to rethink high schools in Rhode Island. XQ+RI doesn’t just focus on individual high schools. This partnership is about a rigorous and equitable public education system, unlocking the American promise of high-quality education for all of Rhode Island’s students.  

The new graduation standards are a big step in the right direction for Rhode Island students, but the work won’t stop there. RIDE will lead the way to redesign the high school courses that most frequently prevent students from achieving their full potential. This will result in all students thriving in today’s complex and rapidly changing world. 

Transformative changes, like in Rhode Island, happen when an entire community comes together to reckon with the facts, listen to students, and double down on their commitment to young people. We can use Rhode Island as a model to accelerate change across the country.

Let’s rethink high school, together.