PENNSYLVANIA
Youths leaving foster care get intro to college
The message “Change in You, Change in Us” was felt all over the Pitt-Johnstown campus this week. The university hosted the Independent Living Youth Retreat for young people in foster care who are about to “age out” of the system. The event is designed to help them transition more smoothly into adulthood. Roughly 150 youths, ages 16 to 21, from across the state participated in educational sessions, group discussions and social activities.
The program was sponsored by the Pitt School of Social Work’s Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program and the state Department of Public Welfare Office of Children, Youth and Families.
“We’re bringing youth together to experience college life, and this is a place where they can talk about and share their common experiences,” said Wendy Unger, a practice improvement unit leader with Pitt’s Child Welfare Training Program. “The theme is CHANGE – Confidence, Hope, Achievement, Navigation, Goals and Endurance – and they are asked to incorporate that into the sessions.”
The retreat offered a variety of classes including jewelry making, stained glass, music, theater, leadership, journaling and journalism, and reverse painting. “We have a youth advisory board who puts together the program and everything is designed by what the participants want to do,” Unger said.
Chris Nobles, 19, of Norristown, Montgomery County, opted out of foster-care system a year ago and now serves in a youth leader position. “This has been a good and positive week and very active,” he said. “It can be hard at first because this isn’t our natural setting, but everyone tries to make the classes resonate with us and make it matter to us.” Nobles called the week refreshing and said it’s been a new and challenging experience. “It almost doesn’t feel real until the third day, but it’s just been great,” he said.
For Ashleigh Scott, 18, coming to the retreat was something she was looked forward to doing. “This is my second year, and you know you’ll be able to find someone to talk with who has similar experiences as you do,” said the resident of West Chester, Chester County.
Scott is a member of the Chester County youth advisory board, and said her involvement has helped her to be accepted at Cheyney University, where she plans to major in sociology. “Two years ago, I didn’t think I could say I was going to college, so it has been positive for me,” she said. “Right now I’m looking toward the future.”
There are 15,000 youths in the state foster-care system. Unger said programs like this one are making strides in bringing that number down. “We want them to know that things can get better and are helping them to realize their full potential,” she said.
Kelly Urban
13 August 2010
http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x666129996/Youths-leaving-foster-care-get-intro-to-colleg
