No spooky news here, just fun highlights from our First Star family!
The fall season is upon us and that means cozy sweaters, hot chocolate, and our First Star scholars having some Halloween fun! This month, we celebrate our scholars and all the successes we've seen nationally across our network. #LifeisGourd 🎃
UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars Academy
First Star BGSA hosted their Saturday Academy on October 16 and scholars showed up in their best Halloween costumes! They had a costume contest with categories like funniest, scariest, and most creative. Scholars also made a college list, reviewed the FAFSA application, toured the UCLA campus, and enjoyed many sweet treats!
Additionally, BGSA celebrated two of their scholars receiving scholarships as the Academy continues to focus on college application support while still incorporating life skills workshops and fun team-building activities.
Arizona State University Academy
Energized to be back in person, our First Star ASU Academy also hosted a FAFSA workshop for their seniors and each scholar was able to complete their application! All other grade levels were able to explore potential career options. We're so proud of all the scholars for doing well in their academics and the seniors are also gearing up for college applications. Two scholars have already been accepted to Northern Arizona University!
Kent State Academy
One of First Star's goals this year is to strengthen our partnerships and stakeholder engagement to ensure the viability of our Academies across the country. We want to bolster community amongst and between our Academy Directors and First Star allies, so we've supported our Academy staff with identifying the stakeholders in their local community.
This month at our First Star KSU Academy, our Director of Academy Engagement, Brian Ritchey, joined the KSU Academy team, including their Director, Danielle Green-Welch, and other university leadership, in an afternoon full of rich discussion. They covered measures of success, commitment to academy growth, and how to increase enrollment and the number of scholars served.
It's collaborative work such as this that makes our Academies strong, sustainable, and contributes to the positive impacts we're able to make in the lives of our scholars!
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National STEAM Academy
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SAi Seminar - Innovation and Representation: Engaging Foster Youth With Science and Social Justice
Our CEO, Lyndsey C. Wilson, and our STEAM Director, Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop, spoke with STEM Advocacy Institute (SAI) ([link removed]) about the impact of our First Star National STEAM Academy. SAI's mission is to enable and accelerate the building of new approaches that expand pathways of access between science and society. We were thrilled to find such synergy in our work to be innovative and create sustainable impacts in our community. Click on the video to see the full interview!
Our next Tech Talk will be on November 20, so stay tuned for more exciting details to come!
While you wait, catch up on October's session: Sports Nutrition and other videos on our YouTube channel!
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Have you ever wondered what athletes need to eat for peak performance? In this Tech Talk, Susana Meléndez, RD LDN, reveals that answer and shares many more fascinating facts about the science of sports nutrition!
2021 Individual Academy Report
Each of our Academies received a 2021 First Star Report which reflected data specific to their program. Below is an example from our First Star University of Utah Academy. You can find out more specific details about their programming as well as the University of Utah's ([link removed]) Impact Scholars ([link removed]) by viewing their Annual Report ([link removed]) .
Alumni Program
The Alumni Program has added a new partner and resource to support our graduated scholars in continuing their education! The ([link removed]) nsoro ([link removed]) Foundation ([link removed]) exists to ensure that all young adults who have aged out of the foster care system have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive, and become educated, confident, self-sustaining, and contributing members of society. They have offered to support our First Star Alumni applicants by meeting with them to answer any questions and including them in a special applicant pool. The national scholarship is open to ages 16-26 and provides $12,000 towards post-secondary education along with mentorship and financial coaching. We can't wait to see the possibilities this will provide for our Alumni!
Please check out the wonderful impact they have already made by going to their website ([link removed]) and following their social channels.
A TRIUMPH for Florida's foster care system
The Florida Guardia ad Litem announced the winners of the third annual TRIUMPH Awards which recognizes youth who have persevered and overcome challenges. He and the other seven recipients were honored at a virtual ceremony and received scholarship money aimed to set them up with some of the tools necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. To read the full article and see videos of the winners, click HERE ([link removed]) .
October In the News:
The RESILIENT Podcast: Defining the Empathy Gap and Empowering Foster Youth
Our CEO, Lyndsey C. Wilson, was recently featured on
The RESILIENT Podcast ([link removed]) (Reimagine Education Show Interviewing: Leaders, Innovators, Experts -N- Teachers) which explores how educators are navigating this “new normal." Learn more about what it takes to maintain the success of our First Star Academy programs by listening to the whole episode.
Family of Foster Youth Slain by Staff at For-Profit Group Home Files $50 Million Federal Lawsuit
Our President & Co-Founder, Peter Samuelson, recently commented on the negative effects of the for-profit foster care industry. He shares that vulnerable children in 28 states are placed in institutions “for commercial profit.” ([link removed]) Peter later adds, “Our government regularly places our most vulnerable youth in for-profit facilities designed to make money by warehousing them."
Harris County breaks ground on a facility for youth aging out of the foster care system
A new housing complex made for youth aging out of the foster care system broke ground in Southeast Houston. The complex will have 89 units with one to three bedrooms ([link removed]) to accommodate tenants with families, and will provide residents with resources like workforce training, counseling services and educational opportunities, according to Adrienne Holloway, the executive director of Harris County's Community Services Department.
Stay Connected!
Make sure you are following us on all our social handles
to stay up-to-date with our Academies all year long.
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