On the Road Collaborative

“The president and treasurer initially review of form 990 before taking it to the full board for review, which is completed prior to its filing.”

“The board members are reminded annually during a documented board meeting of their responsibility to disclose any conflicts of interest on an annual basis, or at any time a conflict may arise.”

“Governing documents of the organization are available upon request.”

“Covid-19 response: when the harrisonburg city schools closed on friday, march 13th for the remainder of the school year due to the covid-19 pandemic, we launched a brand new virtual program less than a month later on monday, april 6th. Throughout april-june, our staff maintained relationships with our youth, and continued to provide program services, including academic coaching, career and college enrichment, and social-emotional support. While the program certainly looked different during this time, our commitment to our youth was unwavering.”

“During fiscal year 2020, management of the organization reevaluated its program service categories, descriptions, and allocations. The result of this reevaluation was that the organization now identified 5 distinct program services as opposed to 3 progream services as reported on the fiscal year form 990. There were no new program services undertaken during the fiscal year, nor did the organization significantly change how it conducts its program services.”

“Career enrichment courses: every semester, we offer 10-week long career enrichment courses that expose youth to hands-on learning experiences taught by our community teachers. Through a carefully developed curriculum and the instruction of caring professionals, these courses empower our youth with a clearer understanding of their interests, skills, and future pathways. Career enrichment courses are led by local professionals and are designed to be interactive and hands-on so that youth are engaged and able to apply their learning. Youth also have many opportunities to practice critical workforce skills, including oral communication and teamwork, that will help them succeed in the future. Every class includes a field trip and culminates with a learning showcase where youth have an opportunity to teach back what they have learned through an authentic product, performance, or presentation. Youth have done everything from hosting a mock veterinarian clinic to arguing a mocktrial in the circuit courthouse this year alone, we offered 59 career enrichment courses in a wide-range of careers, including but not limited to: healthcare, carpentry, law, cosmetology, photography, non- profit, veterinary, emerging chefs, music, environmental science, police academy and computer science.”

“Real-world skills development: in addition to offering career enrichment, academic support and college exploration, we also work on helping our youth develop real-world skills, including discovering their individual voices, investigating their interests and skills, building healthy team dynamics, and planning for their unique path toward success. Because if we show up and meet young people where they are, we can help them see all the places they're capable of going. Our 11th-12th grade youth also participate in a variety of workshops, such as financial literacy and interview skills, specifically designed to help prepare them for life after high school. This focus on personal and professional development helps ensure that our youth leave us at the end of their high-school career feeling empowered, able to make wise decisions about their future, and excited to go confidently after their biggest goals while knowing that they have what it takes to achieve them.”

“4th program - high school readiness: our 8th and 9th grade academies provide increased opportunities for our youth as they transition to high school and move through the more rigorous and independent high-school experience. These academies follow a set curriculum (personal development, community building, success skills, future planning) that is based on extensive research as to what youth need during these pivotal years, as well as our own observations during the first years of on the road. 8th and 9th grade academies meet twice per week, with one day devoted to career enrichment courses and the other day focused on this curriculum. Academic coaching and college trips are also included. 5th program - college exploration: to help our youth learn more about post-secondary options and the college application process, we take between 4-6 college trips every year, including both in- and out-of-state schools. This gives our youth the opportunity to learn more about a variety of colleges and universities and begin planning how to reach their professional goals. We want our youth to experience a college campus, learn more about majors and on-campus opportunities, and be inspired to start planning their next steps toward their professional goals. In addition to these exploration trips, we also help guide our youth through the college application and scholarship process, so they have the necessary support and hands-on experience with the practical side of planning for college and career. Additional program notes: we served 362 middle and high school youth (grades 6-12), 85% of whom are from low-income families, in harrisonburg city during the 2019-2020 school year across our three program sites (skyline middle school, thomas harrison middle school and harrisonburg high school). Partnering with local schools, we offer our programs on school grounds four days per week afterschool. By providing educational opportunities and hands-on career experiences to middle and high-school youth outside of regular school hours, our programs help to close the 6,000 hour learning gap over time, while building our youth's confidence and skills along the way.”