- Foster Greatness - Newsletter
- Posts
- September Newsletter | Our Standards: Led by Youth, Guided by Experience
September Newsletter | Our Standards: Led by Youth, Guided by Experience
Foster Greatness October Newsletter | Foster Youth Voice Month
Isabel Stasa
October 06, 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!
September 2025
It’s Foster Youth Voice Month!
Hi FG Member!
This month, we don’t just raise awareness—we take the stage! 🎤 At Foster Greatness, our very foundation is built upon a fundamental truth: the most essential expertise comes from lived experience. That’s why our structure, from our programs to our leadership, prioritizes and is powered by those who have navigated foster care themselves. Remember the raw, transformative power of our Storyteller Collective in May? That was just the beginning. This October, we’re doubling down on our mission to amplify the voices that systems have too often silenced. Get ready for a powerful series of events dedicated entirely to uplifting the truths, experiences, and wisdom of foster care alumni.
In September, we discussed all things growth and development. 💞 From professional growth in the job search to developing practices for balancing your personal and professional life. Now, it’s time to be louder than ever, raise our voices, and uplift our community of people with lived experience!
In September, lived experience experts from across the United States joined us at a variety of events and panels. From finding a balance for personal and professional chaos to sharing wisdom on the college experience for those who spent time in foster care, we leaned in for greater understanding on how to support our community. As we take on October, we are more ready than ever to uplift the voices and wisdom of foster youth and alumni across the WORLD!
💼 Using AI for the Job Search 🤖 Thanks to our partnership with Staffmark Group, we hosted an interactive workshop on how to utilize AI to strengthen your job search process and help you find opportunities that are perfect for you in a challenging market. |
 | 👩🏾💻 Resource Ready Info Session ㊮ In September, we officially launched our Public Benefit Screener tool to ensure that everyone in our community—regardless of age or location—knows every state and federal public benefit they are eligible for in just ten minutes. Our Resource Ready Info session shed light on this new tool and all of the support services we offer at Foster Greatness. |
👩🏽🎓 What I Wish I Knew About College Joined by lived experts Aoguzi McDonald, Eugenia Wallace, Brina Williams, and Shanell Lavalie, we brought careful attention to the college experience for those that have navigated foster care and how we can improve the college experience for our community. |
🧘🏿♀️ Stress Less: Mindfulness for Busy Lives 🧘🏽♂️ In partnership with Foster Care Alumni of America, a trusted Foster Greatness partner, we hosted our “Stress Less: Mindfulness for Busy Lives” workshop. In this event, foster alumni across the U.S. joined us to strengthen and revisit skills |
 | My time in foster care wasn’t easy. Through the darkness, I found myself surrounded by people who brought the light to where I was at. I can’t emphasize the importance of community and inclusion enough for foster youth. For all foster youth; keep being bold, brave, and go beyond the barriers which we face. We are stronger together as we continue to Foster Greatness for all. MK Sills |
Storytelling is a revolutionary tool for change, capable of shaping laws, shifting perceptions, and forging deep connections. For youth with lived experience in foster care, it’s even more: it’s the key to healing and reclaiming your narrative from a system that has too often spoken for you. 🎤 That’s why we’re thrilled to offer "The Foster Care Storytelling Companion," a vital manual created by and for those with lived experience through our Storyteller Collective program. This guide empowers you to share your story in a way that centers your voice, protects your energy, and amplifies exactly what you want the world to hear—safely and on your own terms. 💫 We are so proud to announce that this transformative resource is now available for FREE download on the Foster Greatness website. Your story is your superpower—now, you have the companion to help you wield it. ✨
Interested in being featured in a Thriver Story and participating in an engaging panel discussion? 🎙️
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.