SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County’s FosterEd Initiative is seeking volunteers who want to help support the educational success of students in foster care. Volunteers serve as educational support people, providing guidance and mentoring to the adults involved in the lives of these students. An information session and training for potential volunteers will be held on January 21 and 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm.
“We are looking for volunteers with experience navigating the school system, for example as parents or teachers, who can help guide others through that process,” said Kim Corneille, Education Liaison for FosterEd.
Students in foster care have heartbreakingly poor educational outcomes, including lower grade point averages, graduation rates, and test scores than their peers. Former foster youth are significantly less likely to go on to college, and are more likely to experience homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment as adults.
Volunteer Educational Supports can help to change this by working with the adults involved in the lives of foster youth — birth parents, foster parents, and other family members — to provide individualized educational coaching and mentoring and building the adult’s capacity to support the student’s learning.
FosterEd is a project of the National Center for Youth Law that works closely with local agencies and organizations — the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Human Services Department, Juvenile Court, CASA, and the Parents Center. Over the project’s first year, FosterEd has served approximately 120 students and their families.
“As my own children went through their school years, I had plenty of support from my family, the school, and other parents,” said Sara, who currently serves as an Educational Support. “This is my chance to give the same kind of support and encouragement to someone who wants and needs it.”
Volunteer Educational Supports are asked to make a time commitment of 1-2 hours per week for at least one year. Specific times and days are flexible. Volunteers must be over age 21, have (at minimum) a high school diploma, and undergo a background check. FosterEd provides volunteers with training, mentoring guides, and ongoing support and supervision.
To learn more about the project or to RSVP to attend the upcoming training, please contact Kim Corneille at (831) 763-8997 or kcorneille@santacruz.k12.ca.us.