The youth leadership program known as Rhode Island Teen Institute (TI) was founded in 1989 by Sandra Puerini Del Sesto and Gail Mastropietro of Initiatives for Human Development. The content of the program earned its membership in the National Association of Teen Institutes, where TI got its name. High School and Middle School conferences operated mainly at the University of Rhode Island’s W. Alton Jones Campus in West Greenwich.

Teens and staff diverse in race, gender, culture, socio-economic status, sexual identity, and geography attended for what many described TI graduates describe as a transformative experience.

TI used an innovative “positive youth development” approach to promote and enhance leadership skills and prevention among peer leaders. Action Plans to improve communities were implemented throughout the state, until funding was lost in 2010.

After a thirteen year hiatus, former staffers Jen "Skippy" Stevens and Teri Gregg recreated the program while working for RI Student Assistance Services, with the help of many dedicated former staff members and the TI co-founders. To update the program to accommodate today's youth, special consideration was given to technology use, gender identity and expression, parent communications, risk behaviors, and COVID precautions; otherwise the pillars of the TI philosophy and program stood the test of time.

TI took place at Camp JORI in August of 2023, and a new generation of TI graduates went back to their communities with enhanced skills and renewed inspiration. They succeeded in completing many Action Plans to improve their communities, including: a multilingual teen mental health awareness campaign, a tobacco "search & rescue" to remove littered tobacco products from Roger Williams Park,  a freshman mentoring program, a dinner series where teens educate and discuss topics around risk behaviors, and a recreation area clean-up.

In August of 2024, TI moved to Camp Canonicus in Exeter in hopes of finding a permanent home that could accommodate multiple TIs per year. (But Canonicus is now closed.) The August 2024 TI got off to an excellent start, with a stellar team of youth staff who had graduated from TI in 2023. Unfortunately, TI ended a day early due to a COVID outbreak among attendees. Thankfully, a plan was in place, and everyone worked well together to make the best of the situation as people recovered. Attendees reconnected over Zoom to enact Action Plans. A TI 2024 reunion was held in February 2025 at Camp Aldersgate with excellent turnout, and participants received the TI graduation experience.

Skippy is back planning for upcoming TIs with another former TI graduate, Wole Akinbi, under the leadership of half full, LLC. The next TI will be held back at the wonderful Camp JORI in April of 2026 (applications available here), with at least two more TIs to follow in August 2026 and summer 2027.