RAMP Update for September 2024.

Image: A group photo of RAMP mentors and students.

RAMP Mini Update for July 2024.

A group photo of RAMP students at Bowlero event.

RAMP Mini Update for June 2024.

Collage: RAMP attendees visiting Jake’s Ice Cream in Falls Church, VA; a group photo of RAMP students.

RAMP Mini Update for May 2024.
A group of mentees posing together, each holding up their drinks in celebration of the insightful experience

During March, Mentees, Mentors, and Parents participated in activities geared toward gaining and practicing interviewing skills. Mentees participated virtually and in person to learn about different careers and opportunities.

Collage: RAMP students and mentees pose for a group photo at Enabled Intelligence; (bottom left), Mentees and Parents are introduced to Cloud Careers; (bottom right), Mentees and parents observe the planet, which shows Facebook users worldwide.

Mini May 2024 update for RAMP activities.

January was an exciting month for our program as students entered the world of career exploration during our dedicated Career Road Maps initiative. The month allowed students to connect with their mentors and the mentor coordinator, engaging in discussions and exploring diverse career paths. Students engaged in group activities, including Career Jeopardy and Career Colleges, and debated about money and why it matters in life and future goals.

Image: 5 mentees, their families, and Kevina Brown captured in a picture at the ECNV office where students and parents complete a career/futuristic collage geared toward perspective career interest.

On December 8th, we hosted the First Quarter Celebration activity at Bowl America in Fairfax. The event brought together an impressive turnout of five mentees, six parents, and one sibling. Initially, students approached the event hesitantly, but as time progressed, they collectively embraced the opportunity to celebrate the completion of Phase One of the program.

Collage: Four mentees and their parents standing inside of a fire station. A firetruck is parked behind them while their attention is focused on a speaker not in the photograph; 5 mentees, their families, and Kevina Brown posing for a picture at Bowl America. The lanes are in the background of the photo.

Students and mentees have been actively engaging with mentors and the mentor coordinator to establish meaningful connections. They have successfully completed career assessments, laying the foundation for their career exploration journey. Participants are gaining valuable insights into their communities by identifying local resources and assets. This experience also involves understanding the unique characteristics of different communities and how they impact diverse populations.

Image: Mentees and their families posing in front of the Oreo Museum of Failure exhibit.

For those readers who do not yet know what RAMP is, RAMP stands for the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program. It is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities, aged 14-22, that is funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and will be offered during the 2023 – 2024 school year to eligible students residing in Fairfax County and referred by both the Fairfax and Alexandria DARS offices.

Image: A past participant in the RAMP program is presenting his experiences within the program to a room full of mentees and their parents at the 2023-2024 RAMP Kick-Off event at the Vienna Community Center.

For those readers who do not yet know what RAMP is, RAMP stands for the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program. It is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities, aged 14-22, that is funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and will be offered during the 2023 – 2024 school year to eligible students residing in Fairfax County and referred by both the Fairfax and Alexandria DARS offices.

Image: RAMP logo.

The Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) ended its pilot year reflecting on successes and areas of improvement. To wrap up the program, mentees completed their transition plans and set goals for the upcoming year. They also completed surveys and reflected on their RAMP experience. The RAMP Program Coordinator, Kevina Brown, received feedback from mentors, mentees, and their families to learn ways RAMP could continue and improve as a beneficial resource to assist students and their families with achieving career-focused goals and achievements.

(Top Row, Left to Right) A mentee is sitting on a couch holding the RAMP completion certificate in front of her; a mentee with a back shirt and a white baseball cap on backwards is standing behind a table, smiling while holding his graduation gift; a mentee is standing in the middle of his 2 parents while holding his graduation gift, a blue shirt that says “Firefighter in Progress”; a mentee with a red shirt and shorts is sitting down, smiling with his graduation gift (a cookbook) held in front of him.

(Bottom Row, Left to Right) a mentee in a burgundy-colored shirt is smiling and standing outside of his home while holding the RAMP completion certificate in front of him; Kevina is standing with a mentee in front of a green wreath as the mentee with headphones around his neck is holding his RAMP completion certificate in front of him; Kevina and a mentee is sitting with the mentee’s parents in a restaurant booth smiling with drinks on the table; Kevina is standing with a mentee holding his RAMP completion certificate in front of a them as the mentee is holding his graduation gift in front of him.

Officially ending July 1st, the RAMP pilot year was full of success, lessons learned, and ended with a tight-knit cohort of excited mentees ready to take the next step in their career journeys whether it be continuing with their current employment, taking college classes, taking on an internship in their career of choice, finishing out high school, or looking further into their career interests.

The first picture shows 4 mentees and 2 parents waiting in the AWS Lobby. Three are standing while 2 are sitting in gray chairs. The second pictures shows 4 mentees standing and listening while the tour guide, Gerry, is speaking about one of the exhibits. The third picture shows a mentee sitting down in the center while Gerry is standing to his left and providing instruction at a Driving Exhibit. Another mentee is standing to the right with arms crossed and watching in the background.

For those of you that don’t know, RAMP stands for the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program. It is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities, aged 14-22, funded through the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

Five RAMP participants are in the foreground standing behind a black table with their completed STEM projects laid out in front of each student. One student has his thumb up and 2 students are waving at the camera in excitement. RAMP Program Coordinator, Kevina Brown, is standing on a chair in the background and in the center wearing a gray sweatshirt with her arms folded in front of her chest.

The Virginia Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities, aged 14-22, funded through the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

RAMP logo

The Virginia Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities, aged 14-22, funded through the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

RAMP logo

For those who don’t know, the Virginia Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) is a career-focused mentoring program for students with disabilities funded through the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

RAMP logo