June 2014
Dear Friends and Partners,
Summer is upon us and the school year has ended for most of our school-aged children and teens, and some college students. BFP placed great emphasis upon ensuring their academic success and consistently met our educational performance targets throughout the year.
We have been fortunate to partner with Eckerd Family Foundation to fund a guidance counselor position at Brevard Public Schools, and we’re grateful to Superintendent Brian Binggeli for his support in sustaining this position. We have partnered with Education Solutions International and Crosswinds Youth Services to implement the Fast Track GED program which, to date, has helped 50 young adults attain their GED certificate. And, through our partnership with LEAD Brevard, we were successful in securing college credit for Independent Living Youth who are members of the Brevard Youth Thrive Advisory Council. All of these efforts have contributed positively to the academic success of our youth and young adults in care.
This year, 10 youth and young adults earned their GED, eight graduated with their high school diplomas, two earned Associates degrees and one earned a Patient Care Tech certificate. I would like to extend our congratulations to these outstanding individuals for their academic and career accomplishments!
To ensure the continuance of the strong partnerships that foster academic success for youth in care, the Brevard Youth Thrive Steering Committee has identified several desired results, which you’ll find here.
BFP will also be hosting a Brevard Youth Thrive Summit – Trauma Informed Care and Positive Youth Development on Thursday, July 24 at the Heritage Isle Club in Viera. Three successful young adults who have aged out of foster care and are finding success in their chosen professions will serve as keynote speakers. Their stories will inspire you and demonstrate that positive youth development is the outcome of a trauma informed system of care! If you missed last year’s summit, here is your chance to learn about this paradigm-shifting initiative. You can register through the TIC-PYD Summit II article link in this month’s newsletter.
This fall, BFP will launch its Trauma Informed Care “Train the Trainer” session, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. This will ensure all system partners are “trauma informed” in their efforts to protect children, strengthen families and change lives. Please get involved and help us help our youth in care and those who care for them.
I wish each of you a safe and happy summer!
Sincerely,
Patricia Nellius
Chief Executive Officer
