fs external about us

7/29/2019 Fs External About Us

1/22

Foster Skills, Inc. |shape a life. build a future.

invest in the future...


2/22

Structure

Program

Initiatives

Road toSuccess

Foster Skills, Inc. | shape a life. build a future.

About Us MISSION

Foster Skills is a nonprofit dedicated to helping foster

youth achieve life success.

PURPOSE

To enrich the lives of program participants by providing

tangible resources, emotional support, skill-building

education, and advocacy.

VISION

Develop foster youth into independent and productive

citizens that become benefactors to their communities.


3/22

HISTORY

Marquis Cabrera founded Foster Skills soon after

studying Juvenile Law under Massachusetts Supreme

Court Chief Justice, Roderick Ireland. He witnessedmany heart-wrenching care and protection cases and

developed a passion for social justice. Having had

experienced the grueling effects of the foster care

system firsthand; he started mentoring foster youth, and

figured if he could help one that he could help many

more.

Foster Skills: About Us


4/22

FOUNDING STORIESThe Star Fish Story

Moccasin

VALUES

Personal Responsibility

Innovation Urgency

Empowerment

Choice

Accountability

Collaboration

Responsiveness Quality

Integrity

Put Kids First (!)

Moccasin Youth

Increase Effort Times Adaptability

Build Loyalty and Community

Implement Fun-derstanding Practices

Model The Future

CULTURE

Foster Skills maintains a fairly young staff inorder to stay current. The company was built

on the notion that successful youth can and

will help foster youth become successful.

Everyday, we believe that foster youth will

only be successful if we do the following:



5/22

Foster Skills operates to provide equip foster youth with tools to be successful when they

go out into the world.

WHAT WE DOBondProvide mentors for emotional stability

and development;

EducateTeach foster youth via interactive

workshops practical, and transferable life

skills;

Connect - Bridge connections with likeorganizations, and connect foster youth to

resource and community organizations;

Share - And, create awareness about the issues

facing youth to help develop best practices.


6/22

Why we do what we do?

Shape a life. Build a future.The Y in what we do

Why not make a difference

Be the change

We believe in foster children

The smallest effort can have the greatest impact

Together we can and will

Foster youth can achieve!



7/22

www.fosterskills.org

Foster Care: The Challenges

Foster Youth Statistics: The Chronic Underachievement and

Collateral Effects of the Foster Care System

Almost 40 percent of former foster youth have repeated one or more grades

Fifty-two percent of students who were ever in foster care read below grade

level, compared to 38% of the overall population

Only 20 to 30 percent of youth in foster care nationally graduated high school

by age 19

Less than three percent of former foster youth obtained a bachelors degree

One-third of youth lived at or below poverty after leaving foster care, threetimes higher than the national rate

A Department of Social Services survey found that 37 percent of former foster

youth experienced homelessness after age 18


8/22

www.fosterskills.orgwww.fosterskills.org

Foster Care: Voices

Foster Youth Speak Out!Theres a perception that . . .

these foster kids . . . if theyre

not with their mother or

father, that means no one

wants them, and no one

wants them for a reason, so I

think theyre almost seen as a

lost cause.

Jelani, former foster youth

Luis believes all children deserve the nurturing that came to

him so late. I think its important that a kid is just getting

what he needsfood, health care, love. You really have to

instill into a kid [that] . . . you have a right to be happy. You

have a right not to be hit. You have a right to nourishment.

You have a right to love. . . . I just think everybody deserves

a family when theyre young.

My sisters and brother had to eat, he said.

So I would go through dumpsters to get them

food, and I stole baby formula for my little

sister. I helped Kristina learn how to walk and

how to be toilet-trained. I changed Emilys

diapers.

I was only six when I went into

foster care. I remember vividly

just sitting outside the courthouse

. . . my birth mother crying. And

then suddenly, I was living

somewhere else, in some house I

didnt know. No one told me

anything. For five years, no one

Being taken from my parents didnt bother me. . . . But being torn away from my

brothers and sisters . . . they were my whole life. . . . It was probably the most painful

thing in the world. They told me I would be able to see them a lot, but I was lucky to see

them at all.

John, former foster child


9/22

Provide life plans for kidsthat help to children toself advocate

Teach essential skills thatwill set the foundationfor youth to achieve lifesuccess

Decrease emotionalstress facing foster careyouth by providing

emotional supportsystems and access toformer foster youth

Encourage foster youthto share their voice

ShortTermGoals

Create productivecitizens that thatfunction independentlyand strive to reach theirpotential.

Increase EducationalOpportunities therebyincreasing the number ofFoster Youth that achievein school and decreasingthe number of youththat commit crime

Develop a proven YouthDevelopment Model

Create NationalAwareness to promotebest practices

LongTermGoals



10/22

About Us

Program

Initiatives

Road toSuccess

Foster Skills, Inc. |shape a life. build a future.

Structure

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Foster Skills is unique in the fact that it was started

and is currently being managed by a former foster

youth who once found himself in the same shoes as

the youth they are now striving to help. As formerfoster children who lived many of the same

experiences as the youth who involved with Foster

Skills, they will be able to share knowledge and

understanding that is second to none.


11/22

Below is current structure of the Governing Board. The core functions

are essential to the organizations day-to-day operations. The primary

functions of the board are to provide the tangible resource to helpfoster youths, increase the number of yearly committed donors, and

to provide assess the organizational goals of Foster Skills. to help

foster youth, assess.

Foster Skills: Governing Board

Donors Assessment

DRYVE

Organizations

Resource

Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4


12/22

Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4


Below is current structure of the Advisory Board. The core functions

are essential to the program and internal operations of Foster Skills

Program. The overarching buckets central focus are on programdevelopment opportunities, policy effecting children, and the foster

youths continued success.

Foster Skills: Advisory Council


National

Awareness

Aging Out Task

Force

Foster Parent

Task Force Alumni Affairs


13/22

Below is the current Executive Team structure of the Foster Skills. The core positions are essential to the internal

operation of the organization. The support position focuses on key on cross-functional activities. The executive

teams holds the ultimate decision-making power or the organization.

Organizational Chart and Officer Duties

Nurture

relationships with

Community

Partners. Ensure we are

keeping our ear

to the ground

with things

involving the

Foster Care

community

Manage, market,

and develop our

brand, find innovate

strategies toadvertise

Use creative

techniques and

strategies that will

add to revenue

streams

Develop and

nurture

relationships with

multinationalcompanies

Secure National/

and Initiative

Sponsors

Create fundraising

initiatives and

develop strategies to

increase companiesrevenue streams.

Implement

strategies that will

grow organization

Manage finances,

accounts, develop

budgets, and ensure

compliance with IRS.

Find ways to use our

accounts to increase

revenue.

Help to manage

National Sponsors

relationships

Develop an interactive

curriculum to increase

youth responsiveness.

Evaluate Curriculum

Establish work plans to

evaluate growth and

performance.

Secure program

participants every year

Manage Parent-Child

Relationships

Responsib

ilities

LegendLegendCross

Functional

Position

Core

Position

Legend

Executive Team

SVP of Corp. RelationsSVP of Program

Operations

VP of Community

InvolvementSVP of Development SVP of AccountingVP Creative

President

Director of Special

InitiativesExecutive Director

Manage Strategic Relationships.

Evaluate processes. Manage Associates.

Implement Curriculum.

Director of Technology

Manage

Information

Systems and

Social Media


14/22

Padovano

Coopchik

Cabrera

Gay

Fichera


Swerdlowe

FicheraFlaherty

LegendLegend

Legend

Executive Committee

Brand, Creative, &

Tech

Administrative

Budget & Finance

Development

Program & Services

National Sponsors

DRYVE

Community Partners

Cabrera

PadovanoSernicki

Coopchik

Su

Sernicki

Cabrera

Coopchik

FicheraSwerdlowe

Cabrera

Su

Gay

Fichera

Cabrera

Sernicki

Everyone

Executive Team Committees


15/22


Below is the structure for Foster Skillss Associates. The Associates are focused on

developing and mentoring youth, and growing Foster Skills the organization.

Note: It's important to have a bond/ personal relationship with mentees and we

know that it is easier to develop a bond with someone closer in age. Our Associateswill be hardworking, movers and shakers. The roles focus strategically on projects.

President

Project Lead

Associates lead projects on an on-going basis. One VP should be centrally

responsible for each project lead. The President, V ice President of Program

Operations, or ED can fill this role. This project lead role is temporary for the

duration of the project and allows for other Associates to step up and contribute.

Project

Member

Project

Member

Project

Member

Associates will be apart of projects and support a Project Leads.

The leadership should be actively helping the Project Lead to

recruit members for the Project. Associates will rotate project

leads.

Manage & Create

Relationships with

Program Participants

Fostering

Professional

Development and

Skill Building

Perform Program

Model Duties &

Building the foster

youth

Create ongoing

journal

Connect with

Community

Res

ponsibilities

of

Associates

Organizational Structure Associates

LegendLegend

Support

Position

Core

Position

Legend

Associates

Executive Director

Vice President of Program

Operations


16/22

Structure

About Us

Initiatives

Road toSuccess


Program Community

Life Preparation

Modeling

Self-Management

The below hierarchy allows for skill building. All skills provided within said

curriculum are for constant and continued learning. Its significant to build a

solid foundation, thereby building the child into a productive citizen.


17/22

Program Development

Provide mentors to Foster

Youth during their transition

from Middle School to High

School

Establish focus for youth

Grow the individual

Listen to Youth

Self-Awareness

Open and promote critical

thinking

Create role models

Goal Plan

Develop creativity

Build Leaders

Fundraise/ Advocate

Introduce Students to Life

Mentors

Develop life skills

Create Direction

Assess current structure and

strategic direction

Update Curriculum

Prepare for life after High

School

Acquire InternshipExperience

Hire foster kids for

development

Have youth help make a

difference by drafting by policy

Develop social awareness

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

These are the core progressive youth development stages designed to

grow youth into productive citizens. Future phase activities are

dependant on Foster Youths responses to program model.

Create a solid

foundation and process

Rejuvenated self-worth

and confident individual

Create a solidfoundation and processes

PrimaryFocus

Benefits

Establish lndependence

Connect youth to

opportunities

Ensure life success

Instill holistic methods

Provide real world

experience

Prepare for life after

High School

Develop tough exterior

and reinforce resiliency

Establish know how in a

variety of areas

Educate about FosterCare


18/22

Who do we work with?

The target population of the organization will be fosteryouth in High School. Foster Skills program participants

will mentor middle school participants.

Exposure: social structures and world culture

Opportunities: education, entrepreneur ship

apprenticeships and internships, and public

advocacy

Community Activism: empower youth to change

their communities and ameliorate other lives

Foster Skills Primary Focus Areas

Foster Skills operates to provide equip foster youth with tools to be successful when they

go out into the world.


19/22

Structure

About Us

Program

Road toSuccess


Initiatives


20/22


MyHome

MyHome is a web

portal that holds amultitude ofresources for allFoster Youth.

One of the maincomponents is aMessage Board

for youth tocommunicate.

I=US

Our partnershipwith Foster Clubwill allow for us to

connect fosteryouth with otherfoster youth.

The notion drivingthis idea is team-up. Have Foster

Youth team-up, orin this instanceteen-up to helpeach otherovercome andbeat the odds.

I=US (cont..)

MyVoice fallsdirectly under theI=US initiative;and allows fosteryouth to sharetheir story to thepublic, if theywant.

This is a powerfultool that willallow us to createnationalawareness.

FS Documentary

An outlet forawareness

DRYVE

Secure tangiblematerials forchildren that arenecessary for life

success.

Organizations:

Cradles forCrayons

Dress forSuccess

No Kid Hungry

Barnes andNoble/ Gutman

Foster Skills Initiatives

TEEN-UP MyVoice DRYVE


21/22

Structure

About Us

Initiatives

Program


Road toSuccess

Below is the Foster Skills recipe for program success.

Believe A DifferenceCan Be Made

Put Kids First

Moccasin The Children

Heal

Think Big

Push Limits

Set-Bar High

DevelopSelf-Advocates

Organization

Best Practices

Build

Fundraise

Partner-Up

Create NationalAwareness

Evolve Organization

Share


22/22


Foster Skills Theory of Success

Theory of

Problem

Theory of

Change

Theory ofAction

Vision & Mission

What are the problems

were trying to solve?

Foster Youth are under

achieving because they

are put in circumstances

that are beyond their

control. The emotional

stressors, coupled with

the unstable

environments has led to

an army of children that

are not equipped with

the necessary tools to be

productive citizens.What are the unique strategies

and activities we can employ

to maximize scale of impact?

Our program model is

innovative and based on

empirical research. In addition,

we will focus our efforts on

national marketing campaigns

while employing business

strategies to increase our

effectiveness.

What are the levers we can

use to cause positive

change?

The levers we can draw on

are: experience in the foster

care system, work and

volunteer experience,

community, families, data,

and relationships.

Theory of Success is a model for evaluating success. Our mission will never

change, however our vision may. To create an everlasting impact we must

always ask appropriate questions.

fs external about us

Documents