On Wednesday morning, four local children and their families found themselves at Bryant in a room filled with paw print-spotted balloons, rainbow party hats, and bulldog stuffed animals. With music playing in the background and food being served, the youngsters believed they’d come to campus to celebrate the birthday of Bryant’s canine mascot, Tupper. Secretly, the children, who have serious illnesses, were each about to receive a tailor-made playhouse constructed by high schoolers and project-managed by Bryant students.
One by one, families were led out of the George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology and onto the center’s patio, where they were greeted by cheering supporters who made a pathway leading to one of the uniquely designed houses.
The houses are part of the Project Playhouse initiative, which was conceptualized seven years ago in one of Bryant's business management classes. Today, members of Bryant’s Management Association lead the effort and partner with local high schoolers and wish-granting organizations to create full-size playhouses for at-risk and seriously ill children. This year’s playhouse themes included a bait shop, castle, country store, dragon cottage, and mushroom house. While the exteriors were decked out in color and accessories, the interiors received just as much creativity and attention to detail.
It didn’t take long before the kids were running around the structures with big grins and taking their siblings and parents on inside tours.
“These children are so focused on other things that sometimes they forget to be kids. The playhouse acts as their own personal getaway,” said Hannah Ratcliffe ’19, one of the Management Association’s advisors who works as a development specialist for Bryant.
Bryant’s students act as project managers for the initiative. Each September, Management Association members contact Rhode Island and Massachusetts vocational high schools to see if they would like to build a playhouse for a child in need. Once schools sign onto the project — in this case, Newport Area Career and Technical Center, Chariho Career and Technical Center, Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, and Warwick Area Career and Technical Center — Bryant students then reach out to a wish granting organization and connect with multiple parents. This year, Bryant worked with Rosemary’s Wish Kids. Students then discuss the child’s likes, dislikes, and accessibility needs and create several playhouse themes, which are sent to the high schools for construction.
“We try as much as we can to match the child’s hometown with the school that’s creating the playhouse for them, since the school is then building for somebody in their community,” Ratcliffe said.
Bryant students are charged with coordinating transportation and gathering project sponsors who fund material costs and donate items for the playhouses’ interiors. Management Association members also stay in touch with high schools to ensure deadlines are met and playhouses arrive on campus for April’s Reveal Day.
“It warms my heart thinking of all the adventures these children will share because of you,” Project Playhouse Coordinator Cassandra Hierl ’26 told students and sponsors in a gathering before the big reveal.
President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., added that “this is Bryant University at its best” — with students leading projects and working with the community to serve others.
While onlookers peeked into the playhouses following the reveal, Warwick Area Career and Technical Center’s Ariana Costa and Prudence Pelletier shared that they had been excited to see their young recipient’s reaction.
“The smile on his face made me happy,” said Costa, glancing toward the bait shop-themed playhouse she helped create.
Since 2016, Project Playhouse has built 30 playhouses for children in need. Next year, the program will partner with two more wish-granting organizations and increase Bryant students’ role in the project.
“The mission of Project Playhouse is kids, helping kids, helping kids,” Ratcliffe said.
