Cleveland Center for Arts and Technology

What it reported doing in 2024

Transforming youth programs through career connected learningin 2024, the cleveland metropolitan school district (cmsd) discontinued all after-school programming, prompting a reevaluation of youth engagement strategies across the city. New bridge responded by transforming its youth programs for 6th-12th graders to a career connected learning (ccl) model. This bold, intentional shift better aligns our youth engagement efforts with our highly successful adult healthcare training programs and directly supports our regional healthcare sector partnership's focus on building a sustainable pipeline of future healthcare workers.defining career connected learning career connected learning integrates academic learning with hands-on career exploration. It connects students with real-world job experiences through classroom activities, simulations, site visits, mentorship, and interactive technologies. The goal is to help students understand and plan for high-demand careers while developing the skills, behaviors, and confidence to succeed in them (work-based learning and career connected learning, ns4ed, 2023).connecting youth to healthcare careersthrough this program, middle school students in cleveland, and throughout northeast Ohio, experience firsthand what a healthcare career looks like and feels like. They tour our accredited training facility, where they learn about no-cost career pathways in phlebotomy, sterile processing, medical assisting, and licensed practical nursing. They also engage in simulations and virtual reality (vr) exercises designed to teach both technical knowledge and human empathy. For example, students can experience age-related medical conditions like arthritis, hearing loss, or glaucoma, or witness what it feels like to suffer a concussion through cutting-edge simulation technologies. These experiences not only prepare students for future careers but also cultivate compassion and understanding of what it means to care for others. These are the emotional skills necessary for a future in healthcare.addressing educational and economic barriersnew bridge's career connected learning model directly addresses systemic barriers to college and career access for cleveland's under-resourced youth. Traditional college pathways present serious financial hurdles. The college board (2024) reports that the average cost of attendance at a four-year public college is $30,030 per year, and over $55,000 annually at private colleges. Even with financial aid, the average student loan debt in 2025 exceeds $37,000 (federal reserve, 2025). These barriers disproportionately affect first-generation, low-income, and students of color.at the same time, national college-going rates are declining. According to the national student clearinghouse research center (2025), postsecondary enrollment fell by another 1.1% in the most recent academic year, continuing a troubling decade-long decline.new bridge offers an equitable, realistic, and aspirational alternative. By introducing students early to healthcare careers that offer certification and credentialing pathways at no cost we open doors to family-sustaining careers that would otherwise seem out of reach. Career exploration in middle school has been shown to increase student engagement and future career planning efficacy (act center for equity in learning, 2023). The healthcare sector offers particularly strong opportunities: the u.s. Bureau of labor statistics projects 13% job growth in healthcare occupations from 2024 to 2034, far outpacing average job growth. We also leverage innovative vr learning tools, which research shows can increase student knowledge retention by up to 75% compared to traditional classroom learning (pwc, 2022). This immersive technology helps break down the psychological and informational barriers that prevent many students from seeing themselves in high-wage, high-demand healthcare roles.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.2%; rating input score 78
• Program expense ratio: 70.6%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -10.6%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.85; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings