Providence Student Union

What Providence Student Union does

Providence Student Union (PSU) is a youth-led nonprofit organization based at 763R Westminster Street in Providence, Rhode Island, founded in 2009 and operating continuously since its first campaign in 2010. The organization's mission is to build student power by organizing Providence public high school students around educational justice, culturally relevant curriculum, school safety, and basic-needs security. PSU operates a community-organizing and mutual-aid model in which youth drive all campaigns and decisions, supported by adult allies who provide resources and operational backing.

PSU's core products span three categories: (1) advocacy campaigns, including the Cook v. McKee federal lawsuit (2018-2022) that established a state Civic Readiness Task Force, the ongoing Counselors Not Cops campaign, the #OurHistoryMatters ethnic-studies campaign, the Fix Our Schools infrastructure campaign, and the Walk In Our Shoes bus-pass campaign that expanded eligibility to 1,800+ additional students annually; (2) direct mutual-aid services, most notably the Well-Being Aid (WBA) program providing up to $250 per school year per youth and family for housing, food, utilities, transportation, and personal care; and (3) coalition infrastructure, including PSU's co-founding role in the Providence Alliance for Student Safety (PASS) and its steering-committee seat in OurSchoolsPVD. The underlying technology is a community-organizing platform paired with a mutual-aid coordination system — functional software rather than proprietary AI.

PSU's business model is nonprofit fundraising: individual donations (one-time and via 'The Huddle' monthly giving program), community giving events such as 401Gives, and partnerships with peer nonprofits. Services are provided free of charge. The organization reaches its audience through a physical office with structured school-year hours, Instagram and Facebook channels, a monthly newsletter, community events and rallies, and in-school task forces. Its geographic scope is explicitly limited to Providence, RI, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Providence Student Union

Legal name

Providence Student Union

Website

https://pvdstudentunion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Providence Student Union is a youth-led nonprofit in Providence, Rhode Island that organizes high school students around educational justice campaigns (Cook v. McKee, Counselors Not Cops, ethnic studies) and provides direct mutual aid through its Well-Being Aid program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Advocacy and Community Organizing Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Youth community organizing
• Student advocacy
• Educational justice
• Mutual aid services
• Nonprofit coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

New Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: PSU generates revenue through individual donations via its monthly giving program 'The Huddle', one-time donations, and participation in community giving events like 401Gives. The organization also receives support through partnerships with nonprofits and community organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Providence Student Union is a youth-led nonprofit that organizes Providence high school students around educational justice campaigns (Counselors Not Cops, Ethnic Studies, school infrastructure, civic education) and delivers direct mutual aid services through its Well-Being Aid program, which provides up to $250 per school year per youth and family for basic needs such as housing, food, utilities, transportation, and personal care items. The organization also produces educational guides, runs coalition partnerships, and sustains itself through The Huddle monthly donor program.

Product overview

Providence Student Union is a single unified youth-led advocacy organization rather than a platform with modules. The organization operates through interconnected programs: core advocacy and community support services (Well-Being Aid, educational guides), multi-issue campaigns (Student Bill of Rights, Counselors Not Cops, Ethnic Studies, Fix Our Schools), and coalition partnerships (PASS, OurSchoolsPVD). The Huddle monthly giving program supports organizational sustainability. All initiatives are youth-led and focused on educational justice and student power in Providence, RI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Advocacy and Community Organizing Programs Youth-led advocacy program providing community support systems, empowering youth leadership, and providing resources for youth expression through organizing, campaigns, and direct services for Providence high school students.
• Well-Being Aid (WBA) Program Mutual aid program supporting Providence high school students and families with resources including housing assistance, food assistance, utility assistance, weather-appropriate clothing, transportation (bus passes), and personal care items, capped at $250 per school year per youth and family.
• Student Bill of Rights Comprehensive student-authored document uniting demands for safe, healthy, and engaging education, serving as the framework underlying PSU's major campaigns including civics education, ethnic studies, school infrastructure, and student voice in governance.
• Educational Guides and Resources Library of downloadable PDF guides including Know Your Rights Brochure, Counselors Not Cops 101, Walk In Our Shoes campaign materials, Civics Education Cook v. Raimondo resources, Black Lives Matter curated education guides, and Removal of School Resource Officers materials for students, families, and community members.
• The Huddle Monthly Giving Program Monthly donor program providing recurring financial support for PSU's mission, with exclusive communications, event invitations, volunteer opportunities, PSU merchandise, and access to an adult ally Facebook group for supporters.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Providence Alliance for Student Safety (PASS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019PASS was started in December 2019 by ARISE, Providence Student Union (PSU), and Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM) to fight for safe and healthy schools. The coalition has grown to include Youth In Action, Young Voices, and Rhode Island Urban Debate League. PASS advocates for Counselors Not Cops in schools.
• OurSchoolsPVDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn alliance of youth-led organizations working to ensure state control of Providence Public School District results in racially just and equitable public education. Led by a steering committee of ARISE, PSU, PrYSM, RIUDL, and Youth In Action.
• RI Civic Learning CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multiracial, multiethnic, and multigenerational coalition committed to ensuring equitable access to high-quality civic learning opportunities for all Rhode Islanders.
• Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of PASS coalition and member of OurSchoolsPVD steering committee. Works on educational justice for Southeast Asian students in Rhode Island.
• Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of PASS coalition and member of OurSchoolsPVD steering committee. Youth-led organization focused on social justice organizing in Providence.
• Rhode Island Urban Debate League (RIUDL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of PASS coalition and OurSchoolsPVD steering committee. Provides debate and civic education programming for Rhode Island youth.
• Youth In ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of PASS coalition and OurSchoolsPVD steering committee. Youth-led organization empowering young people in Rhode Island.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Rhode Island Urban Debate League (RIUDL): Rhode Island youth civic education organization that is a member of both PASS and OurSchoolsPVD; provides debate and civic learning programming that complements PSU's civics education campaign work.
• Chicago United for Equity (CUE) / Chicago students organizing: Chicago-area youth-led organizing groups focused on school equity, restorative justice, and student voice; comparable in tactics and demographic focus to PSU even if structurally larger.
• Ignite (national youth civic engagement): National nonpartisan organization building civic power among young women and gender-expansive youth; partial overlap with PSU's civic education and youth advocacy focus though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM): Providence-based youth-led social justice organization that co-founded PASS and OurSchoolsPVD with PSU; pursues similar educational justice, immigrant rights, and school discipline reform campaigns.
• UrbEd Inc. Philadelphia-based youth-led organization advocating for public education equity and restorative justice in schools; functionally analogous to PSU in campaign focus and youth governance model.
• Boston Education Justice Alliance: Youth and parent-led coalition in Boston advocating for equitable public education; directly comparable in model, mission, and tactics to PSU's coalition-driven advocacy approach.
• Padres y Jóvenes Unidos: Denver-based youth and parent organizing group advancing educational justice, ethnic studies, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline; long-running peer organization with a comparable youth-led organizing model.
• Youth In Action (Providence): Youth-led organizing group in Providence advancing youth power, education equity, and racial justice; member of both PASS and OurSchoolsPVD coalitions with PSU.
• Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE): Co-founder of PASS and OurSchoolsPVD alongside PSU; youth-led educational justice organization serving Providence and Rhode Island students with overlapping campaigns on culturally relevant curriculum and school safety.
• Young Voices (Rhode Island): Rhode Island youth-led civic engagement organization and PASS coalition member; focuses on youth advocacy and leadership development closely parallel to PSU's mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pvdstudentunion
• Instagraminstagram.com/pvdstudentunion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pvdstudentunion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Providence Student Union