Salisbury, MD — Rivers & Roads Consulting is proud to announce its ongoing engagement with Chimes, the Baltimore-based nonprofit supporting people of differing abilities and behavioral health needs, as the organization brings its nationally recognized educational model to Maryland’s Eastern Shore with the opening of The Chimes School Eastern Shore in Salisbury.
The new campus will serve students ages 5 to 10 with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and Autism from across the Eastern Shore’s nine counties. For many families in the region, specialized education has long meant hours of daily travel across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or out of state. A local campus means less time on the road and more time for students to learn, grow, and thrive closer to home.
Rivers & Roads consultant Chris Wheedleton has served as the Eastern Shore liaison for Chimes throughout the engagement, guiding the organization as it navigated the process of identifying and acquiring the property needed for the school. Wheedleton’s longstanding relationships with The Greater Salisbury Committee, surrounding chambers of commerce, and local school systems provided the on-the-ground connections that helped bring this milestone to fruition for Chimes and for Eastern Shore families of students with special needs.
“This project is exactly why Rivers & Roads exists — connecting mission-driven organizations with the local relationships and knowledge they need to succeed,” said Sam Shoge, Co-Founder of Rivers & Roads Consulting. “Chris’s deep roots in the Salisbury business, civic, and education communities turned a complex site search into a genuine partnership with the region. The result is a school that will change lives on the Shore for generations.”
“Finding the right home for The Chimes School Eastern Shore required trust, local insight, and relationships built over years,” said Wheedleton. “The Greater Salisbury Committee, our chambers of commerce, and the school systems across the Shore understood immediately what this school would mean for families here. It has been an honor to help connect Chimes’ vision with the community that needs it.”
About The Chimes School Eastern Shore
The Chimes School Eastern Shore brings Chimes’ proven 11-month educational model, long established at The Chimes School in Baltimore, to the Eastern Shore. The program infuses everyday academic and work-related skills with functionality, with a core priority on social skills development, using a multisensory approach that challenges students to build independence at school, at home, and in the community.
Expected to open in 2028, the fully accessible campus is planned to feature:
- State-of-the-art classrooms with interactive technology
- Dedicated multi-sensory rooms supporting behavioral and sensory needs
- A vocational and workforce hub developed in partnership with local organizations
- Outdoor adaptive learning environments designed for therapeutic play and engagement
The campus will open in phases, beginning with eight classrooms serving 64 students, and growing to a total capacity of 144 students supported by a staff of 135.
About Chimes
Chimes is a nonprofit organization supporting people of differing abilities and behavioral health needs to thrive through personalized care, innovative programs, and pathways to independence. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Chimes serves more than 26,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs annually across Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, the District of Columbia, and Israel. Learn more at chimes.org.
Is your organization trying to bring a mission-driven project into a new community?
Rivers & Roads Consulting helps nonprofits, public agencies, and mission-driven organizations navigate the local relationships, strategy, and implementation steps needed to turn big ideas into real community impact. From site strategy and stakeholder engagement to partnership development and on-the-ground coordination, we help clients connect their vision with the people, places, and systems needed to make it work. For organizations expanding services, launching new programs, or entering new markets, we provide the local insight and practical support to move from possibility to progress.
