About Us
Genesis Center is a multi-service organization offering a full range of services to immigrants, refugees and low-income families.
Genesis Center is a multi-service organization offering a full range of services to immigrants, refugees and low-income families.
Each year, Genesis Center serves over 1,200 individuals through ESOL classes, job training programs, Citizenship preparation, and supportive services. We also serve over 100 children annually in our Early Learning Center. Our integrated programming platform ensures consistent progress for our learners with a focus on employment and continued economic security.
Our Vision
Genesis Center envisions a world where all people have equality of opportunity to realize their full potential.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide the highest quality education, job training and support services to people of diverse cultures so that they may achieve economic independence and participate fully in society.
Our Values
Our Vision
Genesis Center envisions a world where all people have equality of opportunity to realize their full potential.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide the highest quality education, job training and support services to people of diverse cultures so that they may achieve economic independence and participate fully in society.
Our Values
OUR VALUES
- Inclusivity
We recognize the inherent individuality of all people and we value individual perspectives and differences; we are all teachers and all learners.
- INTEGRITY
We value honesty in projecting our mission, setting high standards for ourselves and those with whom we work.
- Innovation
We are creative and open to change as we strive to meet the needs of those we serve.
- collaboration
We cooperate and partner with all those who are committed to enhance the quality of life for those we serve, recognizing that we are part of a larger community.
- STewardship
We are committed to standards of productivity that keep faith with those that support us; we exercise effective use of our resources.
Our History
Our History
Justice and self-interest alike demand that we invest in the dignity and self-sufficiency of Rhode Island families. That is what we founded The Genesis Center to do 30 years ago. That is what the Genesis Center does today.
— Reverend Dan Trainor & Sister Angela Daniels
Genesis Center was founded in 1982 to assist refugees from Southeast Asia – Laotian, Hmong, Cambodian and Vietnamese families – who were settling in Providence’s West End. Realizing their need for assistance, Sister Angela Daniels and Father Daniel Trainor opened The Genesis School for Indochinese as part of the Indochinese Advocacy Project. The former Assumption School on Potters Avenue was made available by Assumption Church, with financial assistance from the Genesis Foundation. In September 1982, Genesis opened to offer classes in life skills and English as a Second Language.
By 1985, Genesis Center was playing a major role in providing assistance to RI refugees and immigrants. The establishment of an on-site childcare center in 1985 was of paramount importance, enabling women to leave their homes and spend a major part of the day in classes. For the next two years, Genesis provided invaluable service to those in the greatest need in Providence’s West End.
In 1987, Genesis changed its name to The Genesis School for Self-Sufficiency as it prepared to expand its services to include a growing Hispanic population, as well as to address the increasing pressures for refugees and immigrants to obtain stable employment. With the assistance of Public Works Associates, The School began long-term planning, appointed a decision-making Board of Directors and established itself as a non-profit organization with its own 501 (c) 3 status. The School’s mission statement was changed to include outreach to any refugee or immigrant needing instruction in English-as-a-Second-Language, as well as other services provided by Genesis. The Genesis Child Care Center was renovated, complete with all physical and programmatic changes necessary for licensing by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families.