Registration for our Summer 2027 Career Readiness Academy will open in early 2027.
We are incredibly proud of the students, volunteers, and community partners who made this year's program such a success.
Interested in volunteering, presenting a workshop, or becoming a community partner? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us to learn how you can help prepare the next generation for bright futures.
See photos from our 2026 Career Readiness Academy below!
Career Readiness Academy

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Thank you Kids Hope Alliance for funding our Career Readiness Academy program through the Emerging Providers microgrant program. We appreciate your support!
The Career Readiness Academy is a job training program held in the summer for teens in foster care. It is open to teens in the five counties we serve: St. Johns, Duval, Flagler, Volusia and Putnam.
Students learn the foundational skills they need to secure a job; applying for a job, writing a resume, interview skills, basic banking, customer service skills, and working as a team. These skills are covered through hands on learning opportunities and games.
Students who complete our program:
-Improve their communication skills.
-Learn to work collaboratively with others.
-Identify careers that interest them.
-Create a vision board and set goals for their future.
-Learn foundational job skills.
-Practice what they learn through mock interviews and job shadowing. All students complete job shadowing and mock interviews during our weeklong program, receiving a stipend and a laptop computer
-Students receive connections to potential internships to participate in following program graduation.
Career Readiness Academy
Giving Opportunities
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Provide brand new laptop computers for Career Readiness Academy graduates. 60 laptop computers are needed. $300 provides one laptop computer
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Give laptop computers to Fostering Connections for students to use during class sessions.
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Sponsor student job shadowing stipends. $150 provides a stipend for one student.
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Give in-kind brand new work attire, hair, and makeup services for our students on the final day of class.
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Provide gift cards and gas cards to thank caregivers for bringing students to class and assist with the cost of transporting students to class.
Donate
Photos from 2026 Career Readiness Academies
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Thank you to our many partners, including:
Program Sponsors
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Kids Hope Alliance
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JWF Foundation
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The Church of Eleven22
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Hope’s Closet
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St. Augustine Sunrise Rotary
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The Junior Service League of St. Augustine
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St. Catherine’s Guild-Trinity Parish
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Goodwill
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The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
Community Partners & Guest Speakers
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Publix
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VyStar Credit Union
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SouthState Bank
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Debra Weller
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CMIT Solutions of SW Jacksonville
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Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
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CareerSource Northeast Florida
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Oceanside Cleaners
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Toastmasters of St. Augustine-Mindy Lepp
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Chef Bri Murray-Culinary Experiences LLC
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Florida Blue
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Mattie Reaves
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Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
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Dykisha Potter
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Victoria Hume
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Rob Thomas
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Laura Simpson
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Numerous community volunteers
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Florida State College at Jacksonville
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Florida Polytechnic University
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First Coast Technical College
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St. Johns River State College

