Behind the Business, a program to introduce our young adults to a wide range of career possibilities, has gotten underway at Forward Steps!   Behind the Business (BtB) introduces young adults in our program to a variety of businesses and potential career opportunities.  BtB tour guides provide unique behind the scenes access to the many departments and functions that make their specific businesses run.

The most popular employment choices for our young adults are often a lawyer or a social worker because those are the professions they are most exposed to while in foster care.  As an extension of the valuable mentoring and life skills training Forward Steps provides, the BtB program is designed to inspire new ideas and present expanded options.  The hope is that our young adults will envision themselves in one of these roles and that Forward Steps can support them on their path to get there.

BtB kicked off with behind the scenes tour of Lefthand Brewery in Longmont and Pearl Izumi in Boulder.  If you work for a local company and would be interested in sharing your career insights while serving as a “tour guide” in our Behind the Business program, we’d like to hear from you.  Our young adults will benefit greatly from your time and experience.

Forward Steps welcomes Lindsey and Sarah to our program.  Lindsey, 18, is studying graphic design at Community College of Denver.  She enjoys drawing and sports, and has plans to get back into hockey after getting a job.  Sarah, 20, attends Santa Fe Community College where she is pursuing a major in criminal pathology and a minor in culinary arts. She recently started a job at a theater. In her free time she enjoys reading, volleyball and movies.

The Uninterrupted Scholars Act was signed into law this week

The Uninterrupted Scholars Act will enable more foster youth contemplate and earn a college degree, by providing a stronger foundation for the K-12 education.  The delay in transferring of school records has led to delayed enrollment in a new school due to a placement change, ending up in the wrong class, and even losing course credit preventing grade advancement and even delaying graduation by a semester or years.  These conditions make it extremely challenging for foster youth to consider college.  This Bill, as the title suggests, provides an uninterrupted K-12 education, enabling foster youth to fully anticipate and plan for a college graduation.

Thank you The Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation!

Forward Steps is excited to announce that The Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation awarded us a $5,000 grant! This award will be used to assist our young adults from foster care to learn to become self-sufficient while obtaining a college degree.  We are thrilled to add The Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation to our list of contributors!