SCHOOL ON WHEELS OF MASSACHUSETTS INC
Education Kids, Empower Families, End Homelessness
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
It is alarming that in 2017-18 there were more than 24,000 homeless children enrolled in Massachusetts public schools. The trauma and instability of homelessness significantly impacts a child’s education success. A MA homeless child will move 3 times annually, missing critical layers of learning. High school students with housing instability with no family support are 87% more likely than their housed peers to drop out. Education is a way out of homelessness and poverty. However, “Two-thirds of formerly homeless youth said that homelessness had a significant impact on their education, making it hard to do well in school.” (U.S. Dept. Ed. 2016) School on Wheels of Massachusetts gives at risk students the opportunity to break through the traumatic effects of homelessness to reach their full potential --- by being a consistent presence in their lives, by building their belief in themselves and by increasing their competencies to succeed in school.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
One-on-One Tutoring Program
The cornerstone of the Tutoring Program is 1-on-1 personalized mentoring and tutoring support. Tutors (trained community volunteers) meet weekly with students (PreK-grade12) during the school year and develop close bonds that help vulnerable at-risk students feel valued, gain confidence in what they can do and rebuild their academic skills. The program focuses on both academic and social emotional growth and works to build strong readers, the key to long term learning advancement. Students can access the on-site Lending Library and participate in the “Read to Succeed” incentive reading program. Monthly STEAM projects encourage exploration and discovery of new ideas and concepts. Summer Fun program operates in the summer (with students moving through activity centers) with the benefit of retention -100% returned to tutoring. Students served live in congregate (group) family shelters, scattered site shelter apartments or low-income housing.
The Bridge Program
The Bridge Program provides customized mentoring, services and resources to empower homeless and formerly homeless students from middle school to college ages to graduate from high school, get their GED and successfully transition and succeed in post-secondary education and gain self-sufficiency through employment. Students may be matched with a volunteer Mentor to overcome challenges & access connections & resources. Services include: test prep, identifying vocational/college opportunities, training/college applications, financial aid applications, financial literacy training, access to internships and career exploration. The program offers flexible resources to help cover unmet needs such as textbooks, tuition/housing gaps, transportation, grocery cards, dorm supplies, moving, laptops, software, emergencies etc. The program also offers annual scholarships for students to attend college.
Tools for School
It all starts with a brand new backpack. For students impacted by homelessness and poverty with little to call their own, a brand new backpack tells them that someone cares about them and believes in their school success --- boosting their confidence and giving them the tools they need to be prepared for school. Every student in one of our programs receives a new fully stocked grade-level backpack filled with grade-level books and school supplies. We also distribute these customized backpacks to students (in 38+ communities across the state) who are impacted by homelessness and poverty, reaching on average 6,000+ annually responding to requests from schools and organizations.
Where we work
Awards
Rising Star 2010
Sun Life Financial (Rising Star Award)
Rising Star 2011
Sun Life Financial (Rising Star Award)
Citizen Bank and NECN Champion in Action 2014
Citizen Bank
Rising Star 2014
Sun Life Financial (Rising Star Award)
Common Good Award for Education - United Way of Greater Plymouth County 2013
United Way of Massachusetts Bay
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SCHOOL ON WHEELS OF MASSACHUSETTS INC
Board of directorsas of 03/13/2023
Athena Giannaros
Writer, former Program Manager Kennedy School of Gvt Harvard University
Term: 2022 - 2024
Carol Augustyniak Marcus
Speech Pathologist
Spencer Collier
GetFused Inc.
Gregory DeSimone
Beacon Equity Advisors
Thomas Flanagan
Oliver Ames School
Gabriela Chew
Boston Public Schools
Rudy Dajie
Grey Properties
Matthew Galligan
CIT Financial Group
Tina Green
Tina Green Law Associates
Stephen Marcus
Retired, Marcus Errico Emmer & Brooks
Richard McGrail
Past President/CEO, AVTEK Inc.
Mark Mendes
Rockland Trust
Richard Olson
Randolph Savings Bank
Carla Rodney
Pega Systems Inc
Patricia Williams
Harbor One Bank
Joanna Gerson Fleming
Computacenter US
Megan O'Brien
North Easton Savings Bank
Ann Weintraub
Center Elementary School, Easton
Christopher Murphy
Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
No data