Fostering Connections St. Johns June 2021 Newsletter

Dear Fostering Connections St. Johns Supporters,

Summer is here! Our students are so excited to be out of school for the summer and enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation time. It has been a challenging school year for our students . There were many obstacles this year with the ongoing pandemic and distance learning. I am so proud of our students for their resiliency and hard work this school year.

It will be a busy summer here at Fostering Connections St. Johns! We will be hosting several education programs for our teens in the foster care system the Career Readiness Academy and College Readiness Academy, and having Back to School Bash in August. Our Career Readiness Academy, in partnership with The Kookaburra Coffee, will be held throughout the month of June. This three class session teaches teens in the foster care system ages 14 to 18 all of the essential skills they need to secure a job; how to apply for a job, resume writing, interview skills, customer service skills, working with team members, and basic budgeting. Upon graduation, students will be placed in a paid internship program including job coaching, soft skills classes, academic support, and connecting with the community through volunteer service. This year, we are hosting two sessions to give more students the opportunity to participate. We are so grateful for the continued support and partnership of The Kookaburra and the local businesses who partner with us. There are opportunities to help fill in the gaps for Career Readiness. Learn more in our newsletter.

College Readiness Academy will be held in July. I look forward to sharing more information about College Readiness Academy in our July newsletter. Many thanks to Vice Chair Joel Abo, Vice President of Business and Corporate College at St. Johns River State College, for all of his work coordinating College Readiness Academy.

Our Back to School Bash will be held in person for the first time since August 2019! Our Back to School Bash is going to be a fantastic event! There are volunteer opportunities for the whole family to get involved. Read more in this month's newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Our children in foster care are amazing young people who have many goals and dreams. Working together as a community, we are helping to fill in the gaps in services for local children in care to help each child achieve their goals. I hope you and your families have a restful, fun summer!

Kind Regards,

Aubrie Simpson-Gotham

Founder & CEO

June 2021 Newsletter.pdf

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