Model and Strategy
When a young person grows up in foster care, they have inevitably experienced trauma and loss. They have missed opportunities for education, employment, and basic health and well-being. Without consistent supportive relationships and resources, it’s hard for young people to develop their own identity and value themselves. It’s no surprise, then, that almost half of former foster youth experience homelessness and 7 in 10 will become involved in the criminal justice system.
Our vision is that all young people have the opportunity to dream big and achieve their dreams. For young people with experience in foster care, Beyond Emancipation (BE) and our proven coaching framework are a path to well-being.
Coaching helps young people overcome limiting beliefs and behaviors, discover their own strengths, and take deliberate actions toward realizing their dreams. BE’s proposed Peer Coaching Program will unleash the evidence-based power of trained peer coaches as effective guides and powerful role models. Through this program, former foster youth will support each other and build inner resilience and emotional skills for succeeding in life.
Impact
As a transformative practice, coaching is key to long-lasting change. People are much more committed to goals and behavior changes when they choose them themselves. In an independent evaluation of BE’s coaching model, 9 in 10 youth reported that coaching helped them address challenges or crises and become more confident.
Furthermore, when young people who have benefited from coaching go on to become peer coaches themselves, they continue to transform themselves while catalyzing change in others. Giving back to others is one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate self-mastery, leadership and a commitment to community.
Peer coaching ensures sustainable success – for both the coach and the coachee – in all areas of life, from education, employment, and housing to physical and mental health. Since implementing coaching, BE has seen profound impacts on young people and their communities. A former BE client said, “When I leave a coaching session, I feel empowered. I feel like an amazing person capable of conquering any obstacle.”
Through coaching:
Young people find their voice and gain confidence.
Young people build a home for themselves—securing housing and community connections.
Young people complete high school and post-secondary education to equip them for their dreams.
Young people become prepared for and succeed at work.
Young people give back, become leaders, and create the next generation of leaders.
When we give young people a framework, tools, and relationships to chart their own success in life, they have the power to transform our communities and disrupt the cycle of poverty.
Leadership
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Kate Durham
Executive Director
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Kamela Stewart
Manager of Coaching