Youth Development Program Designer – Build a College & Career Readiness Workshop Series

My goal for this Taproot Project is to create a comprehensive program framework for SMILE (Support, Mentor, Inspire, Listen, Encourage), a youth development workshop series that prepares underserved high school seniors and recent graduates for successful transitions into college, careers, and adulthood.

Celebrating One currently operates the No Grad Left Behind initiative, which removes financial barriers to graduation. SMILE is the next phase of our mission, providing students and their families with practical skills, guidance, and community connections after graduation.

We are seeking a skilled volunteer with experience in program design, education, workforce development, youth services, or organizational development to help us transform our vision into a structured, sustainable program.

The volunteer will help us develop:

- An annual workshop framework aligned with the SMILE model (Support, Mentor, Inspire, Listen, Encourage)
- Recommended workshop topics and sequencing
- Learning objectives and desired participant outcomes for each workshop
- A program roadmap outlining the student journey from registration through program completion
- An implementation timeline for launching and scaling the workshop series
- An evaluation framework, including participant surveys and measurable outcomes
- Recommendations for speaker recruitment, community partnerships, and long-term sustainability

The completed framework will become the foundation for launching workshops throughout Central Ohio and will support future grant applications, corporate partnerships, and program expansion.

Through working with our organization on this project, the volunteer will help create opportunities that extend far beyond a student's graduation day.

Celebrating One believes that every student deserves not only the opportunity to graduate, but also the knowledge, confidence, and support needed to thrive afterward.

The SMILE Workshop Series will provide underserved students with practical life skills, financial literacy, career readiness, college and workforce navigation, mentorship opportunities, and supportive community connections that many families struggle to access.

By helping us build a thoughtful, evidence-informed program model, the volunteer's work will create a sustainable framework capable of serving hundreds of students each year.

Their contribution will help strengthen our organization, improve our ability to secure grant funding, attract community partners, and ensure that students receive consistent, high-quality programming for years to come.

Ultimately, this project will help us fulfill our mission of ensuring that no graduate is left behind—not only at graduation, but throughout their transition into adulthood.

My team and I have prepared for this project by developing a clear vision for the SMILE initiative and identifying its long-term goals within our organization's strategic plan.

We have already completed significant foundational work, including:

- Defining the SMILE program concept and mission
- Identifying target audiences (high school seniors, recent graduates, and families)
- Drafting a sustainability plan
- Researching funding opportunities
- Developing preliminary workshop ideas
- Creating sponsorship concepts
- Building relationships with schools and community organizations through our existing No Grad Left Behind program

During the project, we will provide the volunteer with:

Our mission, strategic goals, and existing program materials
Notes from planning sessions
Draft workshop concepts
Information about the communities we serve
Regular feedback and timely communication

Our Executive Director will serve as the primary project lead and decision-maker throughout the engagement.

The completed deliverables will be implemented immediately as we begin recruiting workshop hosts, presenters, and community partners, while also serving as the foundation for future grant proposals and program growth.