Expansion Q&A
We were thrilled to share our expansion plans with you and are truly thankful for the support we received as we work toward this new chapter for our organization!
It is only because of you that we are in the position now to explore the possibility of expanding. We hope you know how truly thankful we are for your continued support and we hope you’ll come along with us on this exciting journey as we look for a new school division to partner with.
As we begin to take the next steps toward our expansion goals, we wanted to answer some questions about our plans to make sure we are as transparent and open as possible as we move forward with this exciting next step!
Below, we’re answering some questions and providing more information about this next chapter for On the Road.
Q: Is On the Road changing as an organization?
A: On the Road isn’t changing as an organization. Our mission and vision remain the same: We remain dedicated to empowering youth by providing equal access to educational opportunities and hands-on career experiences so we can build a world where all youth are on the road to realizing their promise. This next chapter is simply a necessary step so that we can grow outside of Harrisonburg and serve more youth through our work.
Q: Is On the Road’s home base moving?
A: Harrisonburg is and will always be our home base, and we will never compromise programming here. But we are currently serving who we need to serve in Harrisonburg, so it’s time to expand our idea of “local” from only Harrisonburg City to the Shenandoah Valley. We believe expanding throughout the Shenandoah Valley is a way to grow responsibly so that we can keep a local feel while not expanding too far away.
Q. What programs are you looking to expand?
A. Our initial launch will include only the middle school program in a single community to start, with the high school program following in subsequent years. We would then look forward to potentially expanding to additional communities in the future, if that opportunity arises.
Q: When are you expanding?
A: We are currently looking to discuss a potential partnership with interested school divisions in the Shenandoah Valley for the 2022-2023 school year.
Q. Are you naming specific school divisions at this time?
A. We are not naming specific locations at this time. While we may have some school divisions/communities we specifically reach out to, we are open to exploring with those who are interested in having us and seeing if the partnership might be a good fit. We encourage interested school divisions to reach out to us directly.
Q. What are you looking for in a school partnership?
A. We will be thoughtful and intentional about the community/locality and school division that we end up partnering with so that we can ensure our mission continues in a way that’s true to On the Road.
This means a new partner must:
– Be a good fit for our mission, meaning they have a compelling need to close the learning gap outside the school day.
– Be interested in partnering with us and investing resources in our programs.
We must also feel confident that we can implement our program model in a chosen locality. This includes staffing, which presents the potential need to be near a university in order to find Youth Leaders and volunteers. We are thinking intentionally about our needs so that we can be successful.
Q. Why are you deciding to take this step now?
A. Over the last six years, we have grown to all middle- and high-schools sites in Harrisonburg, serving 300+ youth annually, across grades 6-12. This experience has supported the effectiveness of our program model, which we can now transport to other communities to serve more youth. And now, we are ready: We have the leadership, the experience, and the resources to make this happen and we are dedicated to closing the learning gap for more youth.
Q. How can I be involved during this exciting time?
A. We would love for you to come along on this new and exciting journey with us! If you’re interested in supporting us, you can do so by donating, becoming a Champion Giver, or reaching out to our Founder and President, Brent Holsinger, directly at brent@ontheroadcollaborative.com. Thank you for supporting us as we take this exciting next step!