Fostering Engagement: Toward a Student-Centered and Student-Directed Design for the Foster Care Initiative at Bennett College

Abstract

Every year, more than 20,000 youth in the United States exit foster care without securing a permanent family or placement (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Children's Bureau, 2017b). Although many of these young people have dreams of going to college, few will earn a college degree. A handful of colleges and universities across the country have taken up the charge of providing a comprehensive menu of campus-based supports for youth transitioning out of foster care. Research shows that these youth need support in seven areas: housing, education, community and supportive relationships, financial aid and employment, identity development, mental and physical health, and life skills. The Foster Care Initiative at Bennett College seeks to increase the graduation rates and life success of young women in foster care. As a resident at Bennett College, I was tasked with convening an advisory team of supporters to guide the design and implementation of a campus-based program at the college for young women who have experienced foster care. This Capstone documents the evolution of the strategic project, the strategies implemented to expand my understanding of the needs of and opportunities for young women in foster care, and the steps taken to enlist a community of supporters at Bennett College and to engage a network of external stakeholders through the creation of an advisory team. It describes the outcomes of these strategies and the personal leadership factors that contributed to those outcomes. It concludes by exploring personal leadership implications, the implications and potential next steps for Bennett, and the implications for the sector.