June Newsletter | Our Standards: Led by Youth, Guided by Experience

Foster Greatness June Newsletter | PRIDE & LGBTQ+ Issues

Author

Isabel Stasa
June 02, 2025

Every month, we’ll be sharing community updates that include insights from our Thriver Stories, thoughts from Panel Discussions and our Theme Release for the month!

June 2025

June is PRIDE Month!

Hi FG Member!

What an incredible May we’ve had celebrating National Foster Care Awareness Month with you all! 🌟 From uplifting Thriver Stories to impactful conversations about life skills and advocacy, our community showed up in full force to honor foster youth voices. Now, as we step into June, we’re turning our focus to PRIDE—celebrating and uplifting LGBTQIA+ youth in foster care! 🏳️‍🌈 This month, we’ll explore intersectional challenges, share resources, and amplify stories of resilience, because every young person deserves to thrive as their authentic selves. Let’s make this month as bold, bright, and full of love as the community we serve!

This May, Foster Greatness celebrated National Foster Care Awareness Month with a powerful lineup of events designed to uplift, heal, and inspire! 🌟 From the raw storytelling of our Storyteller Collective to the transformative "Change Agent Covenant" workshop, our community came together to amplify voices, build leadership skills, and honor resilience. Whether through the creative expression of Open Mic Night or the heartfelt connections at our Mother’s Day Gathering, every event reminded us of the strength and courage within foster youth—and the collective power of support. 💪✨

Story of My Courageous Self:

This workshop empowered participants to reframe their narratives with strength and self-compassion, turning personal journeys into stories of triumph. 🎤💛

Love, Loss, and Light: Mother’s Day Gathering:

A safe space for healing and connection, this event honored complex relationships with warmth and understanding. 🤍🌸

The Power of Youth-Initiated Leadership:

Foster youth explored how to own their voices and lead change, proving that advocacy starts with believing in your own agency. ✊🌱 

Change Agent Covenant:

Attendees crafted personal covenants to hold themselves and systems accountable, turning intention into action for a more equitable future. 📜🔥

Open Mic Night:

A night of unfiltered creativity and community, where foster youth shared poetry, music, and stories that resonated with truth and heart. 🎤✨

FOSTER GREATNESS DIRECT EMPLOYMENT PIPELINE PROGRAM!

🚨 Exciting Opportunity for Foster Greatness Community Members! 🚨
Do you have lived experience in foster care? Are you interested in

The new Foster Greatness Employment Pipeline program is now LIVE! This COMPREHENSIVE workforce development program, developed in partnership with Staffmark Group, ensures that people who have experienced foster care at any point during their lifetime have wraparound support to secure their dream careers. We will provide: (and more!)
✔️ Professional Mock Interviews
✔️ Expert Resume Reviews
✔️ Hands-on direct job placement and application support

National Network for Foster Sibling Connections Meeting 👫

Calling all advocates, researchers, social workers, and lived experts! 🗣️ The National Network for Foster Sibling Connections is back with another monthly meeting on June 3rd at 1:00pm PST | 4:00pm EST to tackle the challenges and opportunities in supporting foster sibling relationships. 💞 Together, we’re working to elevate best practices, advocate for policy changes, and ensure siblings in foster care stay connected. Whether you’re a professional or a lived expert, your voice matters—join us and be part of the change!

https://community.fostergreatness.co/c/general-events/national-network-for-foster-sibling-connections-monthly-meeting-c4b605

🌟 The Power of Your Network Workshop 🌟

Join Foster Greatness and Staffmark for an engaging panel webinar where we’ll share practical tips, personal stories, and powerful strategies to help current and former foster youth navigate networking with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or looking to strengthen your connections, this session will give you the tools to create a stronger, more strategic network—because your next big opportunity could be just one conversation away!

https://community.fostergreatness.co/c/general-events/the-power-of-your-network-unlocking-opportunities

🌟 Living in Color: A PRIDE Month Paint Party 🌟

Join us for Living in Color, a vibrant virtual event where creativity, love, and self-expression take center stage. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just love to play with color, this is your chance to celebrate PRIDE in the most joyful way—by creating something beautiful together!

https://community.fostergreatness.co/c/general-events/living-in-color-a-pride-month-paint-party

🎓✨ Foster Youth Graduation Celebration: You Did It! ✨🎓

We’re throwing a VIRTUAL GRADUATION CEREMONY to honor foster youth across the U.S. who’ve conquered high school, college, or any degree—because this milestone isn’t just a win, it’s a revolution! 🎉👏 Whether you’re graduating this year or cheering someone on, join us for a heart-filled celebration of resilience, brilliance, and your unstoppable power. 💙🏆 Mark your calendars—you deserve this moment of pride, confetti, and collective joy! 🎊.

https://community.fostergreatness.co/c/general-events/foster-youth-graduation-ceremony

🌟 Community Cooking Event 🌟

We’re doing it AGAIN! 🎉 Mark your calendars for June 20th at 3PM PST | 6PM EST—our next cooking event with @eatwell is going to be just as nourishing for the soul. 🥕🥘 Let’s chop, stir, and grow—together. 🌱💫

https://community.fostergreatness.co/c/general-events/community-cooking-party

Interested in being featured in a Thriver Story and participating in an engaging panel discussion? 🎙️ 

Thriver Story Interest

Fill out this form and we'll reach out with next steps!

doinggoodworks.typeform.com/to/wC85NuM0

We are actively seeking new and inspiring guests with lived experience in the foster system to uplift their voices and stories on the Thriver Stories podcast! If you have a story to share, we would love to hear from you. Simply fill out the form provided above, and we will get back to you with the next steps in the process. ✏️ 

Our Thriver Stories podcast is dedicated to highlighting the voices of individuals who have lived experience in the foster system. We aim to provide a platform for these individuals to share their unique experiences and personal journeys, all revolving around a specific topic of their choice. 💙 

Participants are compensated for the time and contribution they make on our podcast show and panel conversations.

Foster Greatness’s mission is to co-create a dynamic platform with people directly impacted by the foster system to set the standard of empowerment and support. We are providing accessible, authentic connections and support by creating a lived-experience led platform. Our vision for every person who is and has been directly impacted by the foster system to feel empowered and supported.