This summer, Jay Berger, Mary Van Valin and I created Roadrunner Nation to help Traverse City’s Traverse Heights Elementary:
– Level the playing field regarding equitable access and opportunities to critical co-curricular things like field trips, recess equipment, and after-school activities, including sports and arts scholarships
– Strengthen the school-community connection to improve wellbeing and safety
Why?
Unrestricted funds (funds raised by PTOs) are very important to all schools in Traverse City.
Despite the hard work of a talented and committed Roadrunner PTO, there’s a large gap in the amount of money that Traverse Heights can raise compared to other Traverse City schools.
This year, Traverse Heights’ reimagined** PTO aims to raise $10,000 – and Roadrunner Nation will match it for a total of $20,000.
Roadrunner Nation will accomplish this by:
- Ensuring Traverse Heights PTO’s three fundraisers (Move-a-thon, Poetry Books, Fancy Dance) are successful
- Soliciting donations*** to match these fundraisers
- Building a community that cares deeply about the well-being of young Roadrunners regardless of whether they have children or grandchildren who attend Traverse Heights.
- Sustaining and growing this community through meaningful relationships and powerful storytelling.
- Remaining true to our values of equity, innovation and empowerment
We are not here to save or rescue the school or PTO – the school principal and staff are rockstars, and the new PTO board of directors are hardworking and committed.
We are here to be in their corner – have their backs – and to help level the playing field regarding equitable access to opportunity with them – not for them.
Our first goal?
Grow the Roadrunner Nation community to 100 caring people by the end of September.
Know someone who might be interested?
Send them to roadrunnernation.org
Second goal?
Help match Traverse Heights’ fall fundraiser. The 6th Annual Traverse Heights Move-a-Thon is October 9th.
Their goal this year is $7,200.
Donate here: traverseheightspto.org/donate
tl;dr: Roadrunner Nation will help Traverse Heights’ new and improved PTO raise critical unrestricted funds for essential curricular and co-curricular things.
*Roadrunner Nation is a citizen-led community independent of TCAPS and the Traverse Heights PTO
** In the spring of 2023, the Traverse Heights PTO amended its bylaws to include an at-large community member on its Board of Directors. While this position is non-voting, the at-large community member attends and contributes to all PTO board meetings and serves as a liaison between Roadrunner Nation and the school
***All funds are directed to the Traverse Heights PTO (ie. Roadrunner Nation does not have a bank account)
Good Works Lab 