FAAZWebII - Fostering Advocates Arizona

Real-Life Advocate : Stefani

May 14, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Real Life Advocates

Learn 6 Ways To Be a Champion For Foster Youth and Young Adults.

For the month of May, to show our support for Foster Care Month, we will be highlighting young adults and sharing their experiences as an advocate for foster youth. Read Stefani’s story below:

“My passion is my family and keeping them together because that’s all we’ve got left. “

Stefani is a strong advocate for family connections. From her personal experience with the system, she understands firsthand the difficulty of staying connected to siblings. Stefani has turned her advocacy voice into action, as she’s working to adopt her bother and create a lasting connection as she transitions to the next phase of life.

Real-Life Advocate : Amber

May 13, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Real Life Advocates

Learn 6 Ways To Be a Champion For Foster Youth and Young Adults.

For the month of May, to show our support for Foster Care Month, we will be highlighting young adults and sharing their experiences as an advocate for foster youth. Read Amber’s story below:

“My passion in life is to help people, anyone and everyone.”

Amber has taken her passion to help people and her experience in foster care and turned them into action. Through her active efforts in speaking at community events and provider agencies, she has further informed the community and foster youth on the resources and services available to young adults such as the Arizona Education Waiver and the Young Adult Transitional Insurance.

Read more about Amber and her passion to help here.

Real-Life Advocate : Jasmine

May 8, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Real Life Advocates

Learn 6 Ways To Be a Champion For Foster Youth and Young Adults.

For the month of May, to show our support for Foster Care Month, we will be highlighting young adults and sharing their experiences as an advocate for foster youth. Read Jasmine’s story below:

“I wanted the opportunity to contribute to a system that molded and shaped me as a person and past dependent.”

As an advocate for foster youth, Jasmine is a firm believer in staying conscious in her efforts, and in all aspects of her life. From her experience as a dependent of foster care, she takes an empathetic approach in embracing each individual’s unique experience in care as she strives to better policies and laws impacting young adults.

Currently working at Tumbleweed, Jasmine assists young adults in preparing for the work force while connecting them to job readiness skills and employment opportunities.

Read more about Jasmine and her passion for advocacy here.

Bridging Success Early Start is “Pivital” For Foster Youth

May 7, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Fostering Advocates Arizona board member, Desaray Klimenko, was recently featured in the ASU News editorial Former foster youth get head start on college preparedness with new ASU program. She spoke on the importance of developing a support system for foster youth who are pursuing a college degree. In 2014, approximately 711 young adults exited foster care in the state of Arizona. Often the road map to post-secondary education for these youth is anything but easy to navigate. Without the assistance from adults or role-models to navigate financial assistance, housing, and balancing work and school, attaining a college degree seems slim at best.

Without the preparation and resources, these challenges can easily derail students from pursuing, and achieving, a college degree,” Cynthia Lietz, associate dean in the College of Public Service and Community Solutions (cited from ASUNews).

Bridging Success Early-Start is looking to fill that gap and provide a safety net for young adults by preparing students for college and providing resources to foster youth entering the ASU campus. They will provide support through a one-week program orientation before the start of the fall semester. Through this program, young adults will be receiving specialized training and will gain the knowledge and practice of life skills that significantly increase their chances of success, while also facilitating connections that build stability.

Read more about how you can navigate your college path.

Leap into May and make 2015 one unforgettable summer!!!

May 6, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Jump for FAAZ

Are you a young adult who wants exciting plans for the summer? Do you want to go back to school and tell everyone how much fun you had camping, exploring your future career, and making new friends? If your answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place. Get involved this summer with the exciting activities below.

Leap 1: Lets start with the Maricopa County Teen Leadership Experience (MCLE) Summer Program. Maricopa County Human Services Department invites teens, 12-17 years old, to take part in this exciting summer program. In its fifth year, MCLE offers a wide variety of hands on activities with various occupations preparing young adults for their future job/career. Students explore the many facets of Maricopa County and earn valuable service learning hours.

Leap 2: Register now with Tonto Creek Camp and enjoy the fresh air of the mountains. Attend SEED Camp in June for boys and girls grade 9-12 and learn about opening your own business, becoming your own boss, product development, beta-testing, and to top it off various rope challenges. Or perhaps you want to attend Fresh Air Summer Camp in July for boys and girls 10-17 years old. You’ll enjoy an Ecology hike, engage in Orienteering and Wilderness survival, Low-ropes Course Challenges, and the classic S’mores around the campfire. Scholarships are available if you are a youth in foster care through Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.

Leap 3: Join a Workforce Development Program with Friendly House’s and learn the skills needed to become self-sufficient through education, occupational training and job placement that best fits with your individual needs and skills. Or get involved with Phoenix Youth R.I.S.E. (Reach and Invest in Summer Employment) Program. This is a paid internship where young adults can acquire hands on critical job-readiness skills preparing them for the competitive workforce.

No matter what leap you take, make the summer of 2015 productive, exciting, and memorable! Take advantage of these amazing opportunities to get involved, have fun, and make new connections.

If you’re a youth in foster care and the activities above just aren’t for you, talk with your DCS case manager, group home staff, or kinship care provider. Ask them to help you plan how you can get involved this summer, learn and acquire new skills, and most importantly have fun while doing it!

“My passion is my family and keeping them together because that’s all we’ve got left. “

“My passion in life is to help people, anyone and everyone.”

“I wanted the opportunity to contribute to a system that molded and shaped me as a person and past dependent.”

CONNECT with FAAZ