Download or read book Narratives of Former Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Kathleen Brien Douthat and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to learn about the experiences of former foster youth in higher education. Nationwide, 26,547 youth emancipate from foster care each year. Former foster youth who continue with education beyond high school may elect to receive supportive services through the state's independent living program. Although these services are intended to provide the necessary support while the youth completes a post-secondary degree program, research has shown that fewer former foster youth enter college and complete a degree than their non-former foster youth peers. Further, there has been very little research that explores firsthand experiences of former foster youth as college students. Narrative inquiries are most suited for small numbers of participants in qualitative research studies. Moreover, the best way to understand the human experience is to hear it firsthand from those who have lived it. For this study, eight former foster youth were interviewed about their experiences in foster care and as students in a large, southeastern U.S. community college. Findings from the data were presented as profiles in the youth's own words and through an analysis of the themes found across interviews. Two over-arching topics that relate to the research questions were addressed: meaning-making experiences and identity construction. Within those two topics are themes that support each one. The findings revealed that meaning is made through the transitions former foster youth have experienced, the preparation for college they have had, the connections they have made, and whether or not they feel in control of their lives. The resulting themes of crisis, commitment, transformation, and confidence help to understand how identity is constructed for these youth.
Download or read book Crossing Bridges written by Ja'Net Adrienne Roberson and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The retention and persistence of students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions was the focus of this qualitative study. Former foster care youth resided in out-of-home care with state approved guardians who received funding and monitoring of services. When enrolled in college, foster care youth require more support than students who never experience foster care. A small number of four-year college institutions provide interventions to retain foster care students. The research sought to identify best practices and to establish a foundation for research. Foster care youth often have a history of abusive and neglectful life experiences. It is fundamental to assure that these students are provided with the appropriate resources to ensure persistence and success. By doing so, institutions may be able to increase student retention and completion. The conceptual framework reflects the historical context of students. The outcome of several different retention efforts is discussed. Finally, the literature explored access to higher education for former foster care youth. The research is aimed to provoke further research, best practice, and to inform research. Four research questions guided the investigation concerning the lived experiences of students who have come from the foster care system and who are enrolled in four-year college institutions. The stories former foster youth told about their interaction with faculty and staff in four-year college institutions inform this study. Four themes emerged from A Narrative Inquiry into Transitioning from Foster Care to College iii the study, (1) campus-based support as an external support, financial support, family as an internal support, transition and access. Through the stories told we learned that former foster care youth require external support in the form of campus-based support, a direct liaison who is assigned to former foster care youth. Internal support is important in assuring consistency, a place to call home and lasting friendships. Financial aid is the driving force that allows former foster care youth to persist. Transition support is crucial in properly progressing into college and adulthood for foster care youth. Finally, best practices are discussed for monitoring success in students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions.
Download or read book The Story of a Foster Youths Journey Through the Maze of Higher Education written by Lynn Wales and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As educators and higher education administrators, it is important that we connect to our students. It serves us well to learn the stories behind those beautiful eyes looking back at us, as we support their navigation through the journey of higher education. This thesis, written in a Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style, will use former foster youth students, as well as at-risk youth, as the population of focus. I will relay my own personal experiences, as a former youth-in-care. I will also explore this kind of alternative upbringing, to draw closer to the conclusions and insights of the struggles and triumphs of this population's journey through higher education. I will show how the successful connections with supportive administrators, friends, and family lead to a successful student and improved human being upon graduation. When we label our marginalized students as "at-risk" we are imposing a story upon them, that is not theirs. This stereotypes where they came from dismisses their stories, and triumphs, and places them in a box that labels them. We need to provide them the same opportunities and supports that other students get to help make their way into and through college. We must remove the label of "at-risk" but this is only part of the journey in supporting these young people while they progress toward a degree. It is our job to increase success through weaving together opportunities to connect with different departments, different leaders on campus, and different groups of their peers. From the classroom, to our offices and hallways, this will help these students to create a stronger view of themselves and the world. As a former youth in foster care, I am not at-risk. I am at-promise. All the vulnerable young adults that I talk about in this thesis are not "at-risk." Instead, they are “at-promise.”
Download or read book Success in Higher Education written by Jennifer Enriquez and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although a number of foster youth express interest and aspirations in going to college and obtaining a degree only a significantly small number will actually attain that goal and complete their higher education. Much of the previous research informs that foster youth experience many hardships and barriers that deter them from achieving that goal. The researchers explored the experiences of former foster youth who actually achieved their academic goal to find what supports they had in place that may have assisted in their achievement. With the use of qualitative interviews and open-ended questions, the participants in this study were able to express in detail their own experiences and those narratives were examined. The researchers found common themes that played important roles in the participants' lives, which can be used to help promote the experiences of current foster youth today.
Download or read book From Foster Care to College written by Tory Nicole England and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the different factors that empower young adults that were in foster care to be successful in a college environment. It has been documented that foster youth have significant challenges during secondary education (Conger & Rebeck, 2001; Geenen & Powers, 2006). Due to these challenges, foster youth attend and graduate higher education at a lower rate than their peers. The perspectives of foster youth currently enrolled in higher education is critical to determining which factors and programs have helped with their educational success. Five participants completed semi-structured interviews about their secondary education, transition to college, and adjustment during college. The findings from these interviews show the importance of having a mentor to assist foster youth with the process of transitioning to college and general life skills. This study also showed the benefits of exposing foster youth to workshops, conferences, and classes to help with expectations for college and that transition. Social concerns are one of the biggest challenges for foster youth and programs are needed to help with the adjustment to college and help foster youth create and maintain support systems.
Download or read book From Foster Care to College written by Royel M. Johnson and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2024-10 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do youth placed in foster care aspire to and access college? This book chronicles the lives and experiences of 47 college students navigating the challenging terrain of the United States’ foster care system. Through insightful, in-depth interviews, Johnson offers insight into the harsh realities of how our nationÕs education, welfare, and other social systems often intertwine in ways that diminish the potential and opportunities for these young people. Yet amidst the adversities, these stories resonate with themes of hope, resistance, and possibility. Guided by resilience theory and other asset-based concepts, Johnson sheds light on the protective mechanisms that enable postsecondary access and success, even in the face of towering barriers. Beyond exposition, this book is a clarion call to educators, school and university leaders, and child welfare champions to stand tall and act decisively. The goal? To transform the precarious circumstances of young people in foster care, and dismantle the obstacles that thwart their educational pursuits and dreams. Book Features: Employs critical and asset-based theories and concepts that recognize the agencies, desires, and possibilities of youth in foster care.Brings attention to the intersectionality of identities and social structures that shape students’ educational pathways.Identifies system failures across education and child welfare sectors and how they interact with one another.Presents findings from empirical research about risks and protective factors that influence success at critical junctures along the college-going pipeline.Offers recommendations for various stakeholders who seek to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of youth in foster care.
Download or read book Exploring Resiliency Among Former Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Cristina Camarena-Prieto and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study explores resiliency among former foster youth enrolled in four-year universities and seeks to understand what makes this unique population resilient enough to achieve and maintain academic success despite remaining underserved and largely absent from educational discourse (Johnson, 2020). The qualitative approach of this study involved a preliminary screening demographic questionnaire and choosing 11diverse students/youth formerly in foster care (YFFC) currently enrolled in campus support programs at three selective California 4-year institutions. Sample selection considered these important elements: students who (1.) identify as foster youth, (2.) are enrolled in their third year of college or beyond, including graduate school (3.) have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher, and (4.) have received one or more forms of support from college campus programs designed to help foster youth. Both recruitment efforts and data collection were done remotely due to pandemic restrictions. The semi-structured interviews lasted 60-90 minutes and followed a 22-question interview protocol intended to explore research principles of risk and promotive factors that either hinder or foster adaptive behaviors as defined by Resiliency Theory. Questions were open-ended and separated into four sections: 1) Demographic Information, 2) Child Welfare Involvement, 3) K-12 Experiences, and 4) College Experiences. Based on the analysis of findings from the study's qualitative interviews, five themes emerged: 1) Resiliency 2) Systemic Barriers, 3) Systems of Support, 4) Helpful Adults, and 5) Navigating Higher Education. Study findings suggest that resiliency can be a naturally occurring phenomenon in the face of persistent assaults on development. It supports current research propositions that resiliency involves fluid processes and does not remain fixed or wholly tied to rigid risk and promotive factors or personal traits (Oshiri et al., 2018). Data suggest that child welfare involvement is often itself, a traumatic and prolonged experience with impermanence in the form of excessive school and home transitions, changing adult faces, and constant assaults on personhood. Additionally, the K-12 experience was commonly described as devoid of adequate academic support, mentoring relationships and college preparation programs. Data also revealed that the significant weight of ACE's suffered in care are often powerful enough to eclipse all other systemic barriers, including gender discrimination and racism. Furthermore, the data showed that the foster youth identity is often stigmatized and riddled with judgments and assumptions that stifle efforts on the part of foster youth to reach out and share their stories, as well as ask for help.
Download or read book Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Alexandra S. Hattick and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Foster youth face barriers unmatched by their non-foster peers, particularly in the arena of academic achievement. Although a majority (84%) of foster youth report aspirations of attending higher education, only 5% graduate by age 22 or 23, compared to non-foster youth in the same age group, who graduate at a rate of 30% (Courtney et al., 2010; Courtney, Terao, & Bost, 2004). The current study describes factors from the perspective of 13 foster care alumni that supported them in the process of gaining acceptance to college and graduating. Supportive factors and resilience theories provided the framework that guided the research. Utilizing a grounded theory approach, foster care alumni who completed at least a 2- or 4-year degree were interviewed. Five common themes were identified in narratives of these individuals: exposure to validating environments, availability of pre-college informational and appraisal supports, motivating factors, and the presence of expectation.
Download or read book Our Stories un told written by Mauriell H. Amechi and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children and youth who occupy this nation's foster care system are considered one of the most educationally underserved populations in both K-12 and higher education (GAO, 2016). While previous research (e.g., Courtney et al., 2011) emphasizes their deficits in the education pipeline, we are just beginning to understand the experiences of academically successful foster youth. Given the need to improve educational outcomes for underrepresented populations, this critical qualitative study explored how 12 foster care alumni cultivated postsecondary goals, and leveraged multiple forms of capital to navigate the complexities of the enrollment process at selective institutions. Informed by two asset-based theories, Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth framework and Harper's (2012) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, I explored two central research questions: How were aspirations for postsecondary education cultivated by high-achieving foster care alumni currently enrolled in college? Also, how do foster care alumni employ cultural wealth to enhance their access to selective four-year institutions? This study found that both internal and external influences were catalysts for participants' postsecondary aspirations. Despite enduring significant disadvantages and unforeseen obstacles in the educational system, self-reports from respondents reflected resiliency and optimism for the future. Academically successful foster youth acquired essential support from institutional agents in schools and social services agencies. Respondents shared several examples of how significant others-including social workers, elementary and secondary school teachers, guidance counselors, and extended family members,-served as sources of inspiration, guidance, emotional support, and stability during pivotal moments in the educational system. Notwithstanding their status as first-generation students, they achieved college admission by employing at least five distinct categories of capital, namely, aspirational, social, resistant, familial and navigational. The final chapter includes implications for policy, research, and theory with an emphasis on enhancing enrollment and persistence.
Download or read book Fostering the HERO Within written by Allison Medlin and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exiting Foster Care written by Jamie R. Schwandt and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the United States, foster care is provided to children to avert maltreatment and abuse of children in distressed families by providing a temporary home or a foster home. Courts with jurisdiction over families have been charged by Congress to find appropriate homes when necessary circumstances occur. In fiscal year 2009, there were 423,773 children in foster care (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). When the term "foster child or foster care" is used, most individuals view the term as negative. Most statistical data reaffirms this belief and casts a negative light on the foster care system in the United States. Foster children exit the foster care system and face higher rates of substance abuse, unemployment, and incarceration, and lower educational attainment. Though foster children do suffer from uncertainty of shattered relationships, there are success stories that arise from foster care. This study examines the discovery of strengths and emerging possibilities in the State of Kansas foster care system and the conditions that make them possible. This study identifies and examines success stories of 15 former foster children in the State of Kansas and analyzes how to build on those success stories. This case study uses qualitative methods such as audio-taped interviews and an interview protocol with a pre-determined set of open-ended questions. This study identifies stories of effectiveness in the State of Kansas foster care system.
Download or read book Changing the Narrative written by Vivechkanand S. Chunoo and published by IAP. This book was released on 2018-06-01 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social justice and leadership education are inextricably linked. In order to move social justice forward, we need to develop leaders with knowledge, skills, and values to engage effectively in the leadership process. We need socially just leaders now more than ever. At a time when our elected and appointed officials agree on very little, our communities are divided and distrustful of one another, and individual citizens struggle for fairness in the face of discrimination, society is at a crossroad. In one direction lies the reproduction of oppression and marginalization, continued distrust, and further fragmentation. In the other, a route toward healing, compassion, and fairness. How then do we prepare our leaders of tomorrow to walk the path of justice rather than take the road to ruin? Changing the dominant narratives in society involves preparing skilled social critics and knowledgeable advocates for positive and sustainable change through education. However, when leadership education fails to consider social justice issues, or when social justice education omits leadership learning, both fall short of their goals. This texts links issues of social justice, equity, and equality, to leadership knowledge, skills, and values, with the intent of offering theoretical, practical, and policy recommendations to improve the work of educators charged with preparing undergraduates for the complexities of leadership in all its forms. Collectively, the contributors inform much needed practices and pedagogies toward socially just leadership education. No single one of us can change the narrative alone, but together, we can amplify the voices of those leading toward justice. The perspectives offered here are but a sample of the work being done to make the future a brighter place for all. We invite you to be part of the conversation.
Download or read book Refusing to Settle for Less written by Mauriell H. Amechi and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: The purpose of this narrative study was to explore the lived experiences of four Black male collegians formerly in foster care (herein referred to as BMCFFC). More specifically I assessed whether BMCFFC possess self-authored ways of knowing based on provocative pre-college and college experiences. Two central questions guided this investigation: (a) In what ways do BMCFFC develop self-authored ways of knowing? (b) How does self-authorship contribute to their success in higher education? Results from this study suggest that participants possessed self-authoring ways of knowing prior to college. Self-authorship emerged from provocative experiences related to the college decision-making process. The development of self-authorship enhanced the success of BMCFFC in terms of their self-efficacy and ability to cope effectively with and respond to difficult situations in college. For instance, participants often created systems of support in response to challenges in order to maintain their sense of self in college. Social support ranged from role models and mentors to engagement in campus activities and student organizations, as well as a degree of self-determination and resilience.
Download or read book Reshuffled written by Tracy Gharbo and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reshuffled tells the life stories of former foster children, who despite all odds, craft productive lives. Within Reshuffled, former foster children share their trials and strategies to gain footing in their unpredictable lives with the hope that their stories can model, inspire, and encourage youth facing similar situations today. Tracy Gharbo and Linda Palmer have captured the authentic voices of the abused and abandoned children who become lawyers, social workers, military officers, college graduates, scientists, teachers, parents, athletes, and foster care advocates. Inspiration abounds in unique lives, told honestly and without reserve.
Download or read book A Latina s Educational Attainment and Her Observations of Foster Youth s Educational Struggles A Narrative written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Latina's educational attainment and her observations of foster youth's educational struggles: A narrative.
Download or read book Fostering Resilience written by Lindsey Juhl Jean Thomas and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Narrators of Helping Others and Giving Back, who talked about assisting others in the foster care system because of their own experiences, also trended toward displaying greater resilience than Ongoing Rupture. These results indicate that framing might be as important to wellbeing as lived experiences. Thus, it is important to continue to explore narrative therapy as a means to bolster (former) foster children's resilience.
Download or read book Supporting former foster care youth in higher education written by Katie Anne Nimcheski and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
