SchoolTalk, Inc

Name

SchoolTalk, Inc

Legal name

SchoolTalk, Inc.

Website

https://schooltalkdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Inclusive / Co-Taught Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAK), Peer Support, Buddy Programs & Cooperative Learning Facilitation (EDAKABAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Disability inclusion services
• Restorative justice training
• Special education transition
• Arts-integrated education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: SchoolTalk receives funding from government agencies including DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), D.C. Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), D.C. Department on Disability Services (DDS), and D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities to operate its programs.
2. Program Fees: InclusiveDC Workshop Series is offered free to schools; additional workshops can be arranged for a fee.
3. Donations: Individual donations accepted via PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SchoolTalk, Inc. is a District of Columbia-based nonprofit that delivers two key program areas: InclusiveDC (inclusive education programs for youth with disabilities covering College & Career Readiness and Arts to Advocacy) and RestorativeDC (whole-school implementation of restorative justice practices). Programs are delivered through direct partnerships with D.C. public and public charter schools, government agencies, and community organizations, primarily funded by government grants.

Product overview

SchoolTalk, Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of youth development and education programs rather than a traditional technology product. Its two main programmatic areas are InclusiveDC (encompassing Arts to Advocacy and College & Career Readiness) and RestorativeDC. These include specific programs including JumpStart (summer employment), Creative Careers: Album Production Program, Voices of Change Conference, InclusiveDC Workshop Series, College & Career Readiness Fair, the Circle Up DC Podcast, Secondary Transition Community of Practice, Summer Secondary Transition Professional Learning Series, and the Districtwide Secondary Transition Capacity Building Institute. The organization operates as a service provider delivering youth programming, not as a software platform or technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arts to Advocacy (A2A): Program supporting D.C. high school students with disabilities to explore creative careers and use art as a vehicle for advocacy
• JumpStart
• Secondary Transition Community of Practice
• Voices of Change Conference
• Creative Careers
• Circle Up DC Podcast

Products and services

• InclusiveDC InclusiveDC is SchoolTalk's inclusive education initiative working with D.C. youth with disabilities through two main programs (Arts to Advocacy and College & Career Readiness). In 2021, it provided over 7,000 hours of programming to more than 300 D.C. youth with disabilities across 25 schools.
• RestorativeDC RestorativeDC supports D.C. public and public charter schools in implementing Restorative Justice practices and culture change through intensive, trauma-informed, collaborative, customized, onsite, and locally-based technical support to lower conflict incidents and reduce suspensions and expulsions.
• Arts to Advocacy (A2A) Arts to Advocacy (A2A) supports D.C. high school students with disabilities through school-based workshops, Creative Careers Training, and the Voices of Change Conference to explore creative careers and use art as a vehicle for advocacy.
• College & Career Readiness (CCR) Program The College & Career Readiness program tackles inequitable gaps in postsecondary opportunities and outcomes for D.C. youth with disabilities through research-based secondary transition frameworks and workforce development, including JumpStart, CCR Fair, Secondary Transition Community of Practice, and professional learning institutes.
• JumpStart JumpStart is a summer youth employment program for D.C. youth with disabilities that provides individualized supports and skill-building opportunities to help youth successfully complete their MBSYEP worksite placement experience.
• Creative Careers: Album Production Program Creative Careers: Album Production Program is a paid summer creative career experience for D.C. high school students with IEPs and 504 Plans interested in music, media, and creative industries, where students work with professional artists to produce and launch an original youth-created album.
• Voices of Change Conference Voices of Change is an annual student-driven gathering for D.C. high school students with disabilities focused on disability awareness, self-expression, and career exploration.
• InclusiveDC Workshop Series The InclusiveDC Workshop Series is a free workshop series of 4-5 sessions per school year for D.C. teachers and schools, helping high school students with disabilities build self-awareness, self-expression, self-advocacy skills, and technical career skills.
• College & Career Readiness Fair The College & Career Readiness Fair is a one-day event for D.C. high school juniors and seniors with disabilities focused on transitioning to life after high school, providing access to postsecondary career education and training resources.
• D.C. Secondary Transition Community of Practice The D.C. Secondary Transition Community of Practice is a citywide cross-section of stakeholders supporting D.C. youth with disabilities as they transition into self-directed life, bringing together stakeholders to strengthen the collective ability for action.
• Summer Secondary Transition Professional Learning Series The Summer Secondary Transition Professional Learning Series is an asynchronous summer learning series on secondary transition programming consisting of five foundational courses focused on different aspects of the secondary transition planning process.
• Districtwide Secondary Transition Capacity Building Institute The Districtwide Secondary Transition Capacity Building Institute is an annual institute for local education agencies and community organizations to increase knowledge about secondary transition for students with disabilities and develop strategic secondary transition programming plans.
• Circle Up DC Podcast The Circle Up DC Podcast is SchoolTalk's RestorativeDC podcast featuring conversations about implementing restorative justice in D.C. schools, with episodes covering student voice, arts integration, and community building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 300+ youth with disabilities in 25 D.C. schools with 7000+ hours of programming in 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government funder and partner for multiple programs including College & Career Readiness Fair, Secondary Transition Professional Learning Series, and Districtwide Capacity Building Institute. OSSE provides funding, resources, and institutional support for SchoolTalk's inclusive education initiatives.
• D.C. Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunds JumpStart program through Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and supports InclusiveDC workshop series. RSA counselors refer students and provide documentation supporting youth participation in programs.
• D.C. Department on Disability Services (DDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent agency of RSA, provides funding and policy support for disability services including JumpStart and Creative Careers program. D.C. Department on Disability Services' Rehabilitation Services Administration funds Pre-ETS.
• DC Special Education CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SchoolTalk to host the Districtwide Secondary Transition Capacity Building Institute 2023, providing collaborative professional development for special educators.
• D.C. Secondary Transition Community of PracticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by SchoolTalk's InclusiveDC and funded by OSSE, this citywide community of practice brings together stakeholders to strengthen transition programming for youth with disabilities.
• D.C. Commission on the Arts & HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of the Creative Careers: Album Production Summer Program, supporting arts-based career development for youth with disabilities.
• Office of Disability Rights (ODR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner funder for InclusiveDC Workshop Series, supporting self-expression, career exploration, and self-advocacy programming.
• Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner funder for InclusiveDC Workshop Series supporting youth with disabilities.
• DC Public Library Center for AccessibilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Voices of Change Conference, hosting library tours and supporting accessibility initiatives.
• Education Forward DCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Voices of Change Conference and advocacy for D.C. youth.
• Mid-Atlantic ADA CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Voices of Change Conference, providing resources on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
• Dramatic Solutions IncminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchoolTalk RestorativeDC consultants providing technical assistance and coaching on integrating arts with restorative practices.
• Brookland Arts WalkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNE, D.C. studio location for Creative Careers: Album Production Summer Program, providing physical space for creative programming.
• Youth & Families in CrisisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner led by Dr. Ivy Hylton featured on Circle Up DC Podcast discussing restorative justice philosophy and implementation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEEC: D.C.-area nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through employment, transition, and community programs. Highly comparable to SchoolTalk's InclusiveDC transition-to-postsecondary focus for youth with disabilities.
• Reading Partners: Nonprofit delivering tutoring and literacy support directly inside under-resourced public schools via trained volunteers. Comparable model of in-school, partner-delivered, school-funded programming serving similar D.C./urban populations.
• Maya Angelou Schools: D.C.-based nonprofit network of alternative schools and programs supporting opportunity youth and students impacted by systems involvement. Comparable D.C.-only, system-involved-youth focus with strong transition and workforce development orientation.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit embedding site coordinators inside public schools to deliver wraparound supports for marginalized youth. Closely comparable to SchoolTalk's whole-school, partnership-driven delivery into D.C. public schools.
• International Institute for Restorative Practices: Organization that develops and disseminates restorative practices training, certification, and school-based programs globally. Directly comparable to RestorativeDC's restorative justice training and technical assistance model.
• Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility: NYC-based nonprofit providing restorative justice, social-emotional learning, and anti-bias programming directly inside public schools. Directly comparable to SchoolTalk's RestorativeDC whole-school implementation model.

Broad incumbents

• City Year: Large national nonprofit placing near-peer AmeriCorps members inside urban public schools to improve attendance, behavior, and course performance. Overlaps with SchoolTalk's whole-school, in-school adult-support model at much greater scale.
• YAI (Young Adult Institute): Large New York-based nonprofit providing education, employment, and community supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable to SchoolTalk's transition and workforce readiness offerings but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit with active D.C. affiliate serving youth through community- and school-based mentoring. Comparable youth-development, relationship-driven programming model and similar funder/partnership profile.
• The Arc of the United States: National federation providing advocacy, transition, and direct services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable to SchoolTalk's disability-focused transition and self-advocacy work, but at much larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schooltalk_dc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC67tWaK7mda9DrbveNg6oaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCHOOLTALKDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schooltalk-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/schooltalkdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SchoolTalk, Inc