Roadtrip Nation Kicks Off 2014 Educational Fall “Roadie” Tour with AT&T Aspire

Through AT&T Aspire’s collaboration with Roadtrip Nation, a career exploration organization, the iconic Green RV will begin its official 2014 tour in California this week. Traveling across the country, 60 events will take place during the upcoming school year with the goal of inspiring students, many at risk of dropping out, with self-discovery tools to define their own professional roads.

“Showing students the path between their current interests and a real career motivates them to graduate high school. They can see what they need to take the next step,” said Nicole Anderson, Executive Director of Philanthropy at AT&T. “Roadtrip Nation is an excellent guide for students at any stage of their personal career journey. AT&T is excited to bring the green RV to new places around the country and, ultimately, start the engine on more students reaching their goals.”

Roadtrip Nation helps young people of all backgrounds connect what they are naturally interested in to a potential career down the road. The organization airs an educational TV documentary series on PBS that features preselected students as they embark on an authentic cross-country roadtrip aboard Roadtrip Nation’s iconic green RV. The “road-trippers” cold-call and book interviews with accomplished leaders from a diverse range of industries and learn first-hand the obstacles the leaders have faced and how they’ve attained success in their fields of interest. Click here for the trailer of the current season airing on PBS now.

The live school presentations taking place this fall will introduce the philosophy of Roadtrip Nation to more than 15,000 students at risk of dropping out, encouraging the students to explore their personal interests and pave their own roads to professional success. The events are only the first step in engaging students in the upcoming Roadtrip Nation Experience that they will have in their classroom. Participating states include: Alabama, California, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas.

AT&T Aspire, AT&T’s signature education initiative, contributed $1.5 million to Roadtrip Nation this year. With a targeted goal to help students graduate from high school prepared for college and the workforce, the program and collaboration aims to encourage students to overcome their current obstacles and pave their own professional paths.

“The heart of our curriculum is to allow students to map their interests to future pathways in life,” said Mike Marriner, Co-Founder of Roadtrip Nation. “With AT&T Aspire's support, we are able to deliver this valuable program across the country.”

Roadtrip Nation’s vast interview archive, which contains video interviews with hundreds of successful real-world leaders spanning every industry, allows students to learn the steps each of these leaders took to bring them to where they are today. Throughout the curriculum, students connect to an online student community where they can share their projects and connect with like-minded peers who share similar goals from across the country.

About Philanthropy at AT&T:
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. In 2013, more than $130 million was contributed or directed through corporate-, employee-, social investment- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T’s signature education initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring.

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About Roadtrip Nation:
Roadtrip Nation creates self-discovery resources designed to help young people build fulfilling lives and careers around their interests. Combining self-reflection with real-world exposure, Roadtrip Nation tools enable youth to connect their interests to relevant life pathways and stay engaged with their futures.

For more information, visit roadtripnation.com and roadtripnation.org.

Follow Roadtrip Nation’s current educational initiatives on Twitter at @RoadtripEDU and #IAspireTo.

Follow AT&T’s Citizenship & Sustainability team on Twitter at @ConnectToGood and #ATTimpact.