About the Program

Overall program goals: To build upon academic learning of high school students in foster care (ages 14-18) while empowering them and furthering their education with internships, apprenticeships, community involvement and support, and other valuable resources and tools to enable and assist them for future success professionally and personally. These tools include creating a life plan and education plan and encouraging career exploration through the proven methodology of professional coaching.

By the end of the 12-week coaching program, each participant graduates with a personalized, youth-driven Life Plan and an understanding of how to create the change necessary to execute on their plan. ODBF’s coaching program results in the youth moving toward goals which are self-reliance, self-advocacy, self-sufficiency, time management, educational and career choices, improved leadership, safe and sustainable relationships, community involvement and peer-to-peer mentoring. Each participant will design his or her own life plan that will include clear goals and action steps to achieve their goals.

Students develop bonds with their ODBF classmates and community partners that are aligned in the work we share. They are prepared to reach out to their peers in foster care within their regions and sustain locally-based community connections. ODBF graduates will be offered opportunities based on their desires and interests to implement service projects in their communities. Through the coalition partners, ODBF graduates will have improved access to educational, job and career development opportunities. To ensure sustainability and to manage the ongoing opportunities, students graduate from the program matched with a caring adult ODBF advocate with whom the youth will have an ongoing relationship for a minimum of one year. Each advocate has a minimum of monthly contact with each student to encourage and support the problem-solving skills and tools acquired during the coaching program. ODBF’s model encourages the youth to call upon their advocates as their life plan unfolds for as long as they choose. They will also have access to continued learning and resources via online learning tools and social media networking (participants are given access to a private Facebook page). All class participants receive education and exposure to the multiple benefits within a statewide network of support and resources for youth transitioning from care that can follow the young person, including if they experience transiency in their life plan.  We will continue to measure this relationship and the progress of the ODBF graduates’ outcomes.