Youth Career Pathways
90-hour Work-Based Learning model, mentorship, portfolio-building, and practical career exposure for students in the Fredericksburg region.
ABOUT GO LOCAL FXBG
A Community-Powered Career Pathways and Nonprofit Capacity Hub for the Fredericksburg Region
Go Local FXBG is a Fredericksburg-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit building practical pathways to opportunity through youth career readiness, workforce development, nonprofit support, community events, mentorship, and local visibility platforms.
Serving: Fredericksburg • Stafford • Spotsylvania • King George • Caroline • Virginia’s Planning District 16
Why We Exist
Talent exists. Motivation exists. Community need exists. The missing piece is a clear pathway.
Across the Fredericksburg region, young people want real experience, nonprofits need more capacity, and local businesses want meaningful ways to invest in the community. Go Local FXBG connects those pieces into one practical model.
We combine work-based learning, nonprofit visibility, community events, and local partnerships so people do not just hear about opportunity — they can actually step into it.
Events With a Purpose
Community trust-builders, nonprofit spotlights, and recurring event-based funding engines that help bring people together around local causes.
Visibility Platforms
Helping residents discover, trust, and support local change-makers through storytelling, promotion, and community visibility.
What We Do
Go Local FXBG is built around one connected model: pathways, capacity, and community.
- Youth Career Pathways — structured work-based learning, mentorship, digital skills, portfolio development, and real-world projects.
- Nonprofit Capacity Support — visibility, storytelling, project support, event promotion, and community partnership opportunities.
- Community Events — Trivia for a Cause, Bingo for a Cause, nonprofit spotlights, sponsor engagement, and local fundraising support.
- Local Business and Entrepreneurship Pathways — future programs that help underserved adults, entrepreneurs, and local organizations build practical systems and skills.
This keeps the mission focused: students gain experience, nonprofits gain capacity, businesses gain a meaningful way to support the region, and the community gains stronger local infrastructure.
Impact Snapshot: What We Track as We Scale
90 Hours
Target documented Work-Based Learning experience for student participants
Pilot
Spring/Summer pilot active now while building toward Fall 2026 expansion
Partners
School, nonprofit, business, mentor, and host-site relationships
Visibility
Community events, nonprofit spotlights, mailers, and local storytelling
For Students
Career clarity, confidence, project experience, and portfolio-ready work.
For Nonprofits
Visibility, event support, project help, and future talent connections.
For Sponsors
A clear way to fund local workforce development and student opportunity.
For the Region
A stronger pipeline connecting education, service, business, and community impact.
Our Nonprofits-First Model
We center nonprofits because they are closest to the needs, families, causes, and community work already happening on the ground.
When nonprofits have more visibility and support, the whole region gets stronger. Students get meaningful learning experiences. Sponsors see a clearer return on community investment. Residents discover organizations they can trust.
- Students participate in supervised, project-based learning tied to real community needs.
- Nonprofits receive visibility, event exposure, and structured support instead of random one-off help.
- Business sponsors can support youth workforce development and local nonprofit capacity in one move.
- Programs are designed around structure, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
How the Model Works
Step 1 • Connect
We connect students, nonprofits, mentors, sponsors, and host sites around clear community needs.
Step 2 • Build
Students build skills through projects, mentorship, events, outreach, digital media, systems, and nonprofit support.
Step 3 • Prove
We track participation, hours, partner engagement, deliverables, and outcomes so donors and sponsors can see what support makes possible.
Flagship Program: Youth Internship & Career Pathways
Spring/Summer pilot active now • Fall 2026 expansion in progress
Our Youth Internship & Career Pathways Program is being built as a structured, school-aligned, 90-hour Work-Based Learning experience for high school and homeschool students across Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and the surrounding region.
Students build
- Career-ready digital portfolio work
- Professional communication, resume, and reflection skills
- Experience in marketing, media, outreach, systems, operations, and AI tools
- Confidence, accountability, teamwork, and career clarity
Support funds
- Mentorship and program coordination
- Software, AI, marketing, training, and project tools
- Workspace, outreach, student materials, and operations
- Capacity to serve more students in future cohorts
Mentors
Share your experience through workshops, Q&A, project review, or semester support.
Business Sponsors
Sponsor tools, training, student experience, cohort capacity, and program growth.
Support the Current Program: Youth Internship & Career Pathways
Help us grow the Spring/Summer pilot into a stronger Fall 2026 student career pathway across Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and the surrounding region. Individuals can donate through Zeffy. Businesses and organizations can sponsor the current program through our sponsorship page.
Individual Donations • Fund a Future
Help a Local Student Build Real Career Skills
Your donation helps fund training tools, mentorship, software access, project resources, supervised learning time, and real-world career pathway experiences for local students.
Business Sponsorship • Current Program
Want Your Business Attached to Real Local Impact?
Businesses, builders, contractors, real estate teams, tech companies, healthcare practices, professional services, and community-minded organizations can sponsor the Youth Internship & Career Pathways Program.
Sponsorship helps fund cohort capacity, student experience, tools, training, mentorship, program operations, and long-term workforce development across the Fredericksburg region.
- Talent Pipeline Builder
- Cohort Capacity Sponsor
- Student Experience Sponsor
- Emerging Talent Contributor
Current Program Supporters
Cohort Capacity Sponsor
Project Gateway Vantage DPR
Emerging Talent Contributor
Treck Realty
Your business can be part of the next sponsor group helping local students build confidence, skills, and real-world experience.
Events With a Purpose
Community-based funding engines and nonprofit visibility platforms.
Go Local FXBG hosts Trivia for a Cause, Bingo for a Cause, nonprofit spotlights, and community events that raise awareness, bring people together, and create repeatable support for local nonprofits.
Why it matters
- Most events directly benefit partner nonprofits.
- One designated event per month may support Go Local FXBG programs.
- Sponsors get a public-facing way to support real community work.
- Events create awareness, connection, and local trust.
Amplifying Local Change-Makers
Visibility platforms that strengthen community trust.
Our nonprofit spotlights, digital storytelling, co-op mailer, local guides, and event promotion platforms help residents discover the organizations, people, and businesses creating real impact in the region.
- Nonprofit spotlights and digital storytelling
- Regional community promotion platforms
- Event marketing, sponsor visibility, and partner amplification
- Student learning opportunities in content, outreach, design, CRM, and marketing
Programs Growing From the Internship Pilot
We are building long-term infrastructure, not one-off projects. As outcomes and capacity grow, Go Local FXBG will continue developing additional programs that strengthen workforce and entrepreneurship pathways.
Community Entrepreneurship Accelerator
A developing pathway for underserved adults, returning citizens, veterans, women starting over, aspiring entrepreneurs, and adults seeking practical routes into business, digital media, marketing, and economic opportunity.
Local Business Accelerator
Support for local organizations and small businesses — beginning with nonprofits first — focused on sustainable growth, marketing, digital presence, community connections, and operational systems.
Leadership Rooted in Our Community
Meet the Board
Meet the people helping guide Go Local FXBG’s mission, programs, partnerships, and long-term community impact throughout Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and the surrounding region.
Marcus Toler
Founder & Executive Director
Marcus Toler is the Founder and Executive Director of Go Local FXBG. With a background in marketing, digital media, business development, events, and community partnerships, Marcus has spent years building connections between local businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders throughout the Fredericksburg region.
He leads the organization’s strategic direction, partnerships, and growth with a focus on creating sustainable programs that connect people with education, mentorship, resources, and opportunities to succeed.
Maija-liisa Penn-Poon, CNP
Vice President & Program Director
Maija-liisa Penn-Poon brings more than a decade of experience in education, psychology, nonprofit leadership, and community-based programming to Go Local FXBG. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of The Knowledge Exchange and Founder of Pené Vivan LLC.
Maija helps guide program development and community impact initiatives, bringing a trauma-informed and people-centered perspective to creating supportive environments where youth, families, and community members can learn, grow, and thrive.
Jennifer Hogan
Operations & Program Director
Jennifer Hogan brings experience in marketing, operations, project management, leadership development, education, and entrepreneurship to Go Local FXBG.
Jennifer helps turn ideas into organized, sustainable programs and systems. She supports organizational operations, strategic initiatives, community partnerships, events, and the college and high school internship programs, with a focus on meaningful hands-on experiences and long-term community impact.
Chelsea L. Long
Community Partnerships & Development Director
Chelsea L. Long brings experience in communications, marketing, project management, photography, videography, radio, and digital media to Go Local FXBG.
Chelsea focuses on building relationships with businesses, nonprofits, sponsors, and community leaders throughout the Fredericksburg region. She helps create partnerships that expand Go Local FXBG’s reach, strengthen its programs, and generate the community and financial support needed to sustain its mission.
Ashley Call-Williams
Board Member | Creative & Brand Advisor
Ashley Call-Williams is a creative strategist, photographer, artist, and Founder and Creative Director of Digital Soup. Her work spans strategic marketing, creative direction, photography, visual storytelling, and brand development.
Ashley brings a creative perspective to Go Local FXBG’s communications, storytelling, and long-term brand development, helping the organization communicate its mission and community impact in meaningful and engaging ways.
Jessica Ruyts
Treasurer | Nonprofit & Community Advisor
Jessica Ruyts is the President and Founder of The Ruyts Foundation of Veteran Suicide Prevention and brings experience in nonprofit leadership, accounting, law, healthcare, and community advocacy to Go Local FXBG.
As Treasurer and a nonprofit advisor, Jessica contributes financial knowledge and the perspective of a nonprofit founder who understands the realities of building and sustaining a mission-driven organization. Her advocacy work brings an additional community-centered perspective to the board.
Build Something Lasting With Us
Whether you are a student, parent, nonprofit, school partner, mentor, donor, sponsor, business owner, or community leader, there is a place for you in this work.
Sponsor Student Opportunity
Fund the Youth Internship & Career Pathways Program with clear levels and community visibility.
Donate Through Zeffy
Support tools, mentorship, training, and project resources for local students.
Partner With Us
Nonprofits, schools, mentors, sponsors, and collaborators can start the conversation here.
