May is foster care awareness month! To raise awareness about foster care, First Star will share on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn some of the educational hurdles faced by young adults in the system, and some organizations making change. On May 17th and 18th, First Star’s 48-hour giving campaign aims to raise $5,000 to support First Star’s mission to improve education for youth in foster care. Join us!
Donations received at any time during the month of May will count toward the $5,000 goal.
To make a donation that will enhance the lives and trajectories of our scholars
Text FOSTERCAREAWARE to 44-321
or
Donate ([link removed])
Kent State Scholars visit DC
First Star KSU scholars and chaperones headed to Washington DC last week with new luggage thanks to Tiffany Haddish and the SheReadyFoundation. During their four-day trip, scholars visited the National Mall and the Smithsonian complex, the Pentagon Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. A highlight of the trip included a visit to the African American Museum of History and Culture. Team First Star walked so much that they had to dip their feet in a fountain!
Foster Youth Education Summit
On April 25th and 26th, First Star scholars, staff from the First Star Academies in California (CSUSB, UCLA, and Sacramento State), and our CEO, Lyndsey Wilson, attended the Foster Youth Education Summit in Monterey, CA. Our scholars participated in activities that developed their public speaking and networking skills. They worked in small groups to identify what messages they would like to convey to the adults at the conference about how the system could be changed to better meet their needs, they developed personalized talking points for sharing at the conference (at the youth’s discretion), and attended breakout sessions where they could both gather and share important information. Lyndsey co-facilitated a session addressing foster youth education and the intervention required to ensure lasting change in the lives of our teenagers in care. The session entitled "Making the Case for How to Improve Education Outcomes for CA's Youth in Foster Care" was co-presented by JBAY's Jessica
Petrass and Promises2Kids' Rashida Elimu (pictured). The presentation featured promising practices and programs that have significantly improved academic outcomes and explored new opportunities for expanding these supports to benefit all young people in care across California.
2022 College Acceptances
We are so excited to announce that a number of our scholars have chosen to attend their host University!
First Star scholars have been accepted at Arizona State, Illinois State, UCLA, Cal State San Bernardino, Kent State University, and Fairmont State University!
We look forward to celebrating the rest of the Class of 2022 as they make decisions about where they want to attend in the fall and what their future holds.
Join Our May Tech Talk
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For our May 2022 Tech Talk, we will be joined by Dr. Morgan Mitchell, associate product manager at Sciex.
Dr. Morgan Mitchell received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Houston, a Masters in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Spelman College. Her doctoral research focused on using mass spectrometry and proteomics to discover novel proteins in tuberculosis and pancreatic cancer. She is also a breast cancer survivor and is a passionate advocate of breast cancer awareness in young African American women. Some breast cancer organizations she is a member of include Tigerlily Foundation, Angels Surviving Cancer, and Susan G. Komen. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and involved in many community service organizations including the Association of Women in Science, SuperGirls SHINE Foundation, and The Mademoiselles.
Scholar Advisory Committee
Mark your calendars for the Scholars Advisory Committees May 21^st “I Dream A World” Advocacy Forum. This virtual advocacy forum will be an opportunity for First Star scholars to dialogue about issues that are relevant to them and the world as they see it. This national conversation will focus on Racial Justice & Equity, Foster Care Awareness, LGBTQ+ Rights and Awareness, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention.
We are inviting legislators and organization representatives who have shown interest in these topics to engage in healthy conversation with our scholars, to hear their concerns, and talk about ways to move toward improvement.
First Star Alumni Awards Show
The First Star Alumni Awards Show is a community celebration for the First Star Class of 2022 & Alumni who've made outstanding achievements. You and the entire First Star Family are invited to join us during our online event to congratulate our First Star Alumni this June 25th at 11:00 AM (PST)! Click here ([link removed]) to review the First Star Alumni Spotlight Newsletter.
Reserve your tickets through our Instagram or with this link:
Awards Registration ([link removed])
Give with Confidence
For the 5th consecutive year, First Star has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a 2022 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (previously GuideStar). Awarded to nonprofits who demonstrate strong financial health and a commitment to accountability and transparency. Thank you for trusting us with your donations, your time, and your goodwill. Your trust and support mean so much to us and the foster youth we serve.
Our Impact
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