Popular Venture Van Tours Return

Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s popular Venture Van has announced its spring schedule. A favorite among donors, the Venture Van tours offer community members and philanthropists a unique opportunity to tour nonprofit organizations that have a strong impact in the community and are providing innovative solutions at the local and regional levels. The Venture Van was created in 1999, and encourages an active, lively discourse on the pressing issues in the region.

The Venture Van tours enable curious residents and charitable investors to learn about nonprofit strategies through engaging site visits. On each tour, participants meet diverse social entrepreneurs who are advancing the way nonprofits enrich and serve our communities, as well as government officials who are partnering with the private sector.

The Spring 2007 tour begins on March 15 and will include:

Girls on the Edge: A Look at the Juvenile Justice System: On this tour, the Venture Van will visit the Girls Camp in San Mateo County’s newly opened Youth Services Center. Talk with leaders from the county’s juvenile justice system to understand how the philosophy of restorative justice is helping girls make constructive choices and become valuable, contributing members of the community. The tour is scheduled for Thursday, March 15, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Creating Art to Build Strong Communities: Art has long been used as a tool to shape and express a community’s soul. During this tour, riders will visit two exemplary art models in San José. The Mayfair Initiative and Teatro Vision collaborate to create theater that encourages people to identify problems and work together towards peaceful resolutions. The second stop will be at one of the nation’s three remaining Japantowns, where San José Taiko musicians bring the community together as they preserve cultural traditions and aid historic preservation efforts. The tour is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24, from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Turning Disabilities Into Possibilities: Venture Van will tour Community Gatepath and PARCA, two of Silicon Valley’s leading nonprofits that help individuals with disabilities learn to live a life of self-reliance. During the visit, attendees will hear and experience ways that people with a broad range of disabilities are developing skills that enable them to live as integrated members of the community. The tour is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Tours are generally two hours long and depart at 8:30 a.m. from various locations along Highway 280 or 101. The chartered bus returns to the same location by 10:30 a.m.

The tours are free. For more information or to register for an upcoming tour, contact us at venturevan@siliconvalleycf.org.