A Community College and Human Services Collaboration

Improving Foster Youth Engagement

and Career Readiness:

Karen Steeno van Staveren MA, LLPC, Career and Student Employment Advisor

Coty Dunten MA, LLPC, Life Resources Coordinator

“We need to increase access and

success in postsecondary education

and professional careers for

students from foster care ages

12-25 in Michigan.”

www.FosteringSuccessMichigan.com

The Midwest Study

56% of the participants enrolled in school were enrolled in a 2 year

program

4% of foster care alumni graduate from 2 year colleges

72% of students who dropped out of college were attending 2 year

colleges

Building the Case for

Community College Support

White, C. R., O’Brien, K., Pecora, P.J., Kessler, R.C., Sampson, N., Hwang, I., and Buher, A. (November 2012). Michigan Foster

Care Alumni Study Technical Report: Outcomes at Age 23 and 24. Casey Family Programs: Seattle, WA.

M.E. Courtney, A. Dworsky, G.R. Cusick, J. Havlicek, A. Perez, T. Keller (2011). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former

foster youth: Outcomes at age 26. Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, Chicago

Resourcing, Supporting and Networking

Examples: regional meetings, statewide summit, webinars, resource

website, listserv

Fostering Success Michigan

The teen unit was created in May 2012 and is unique to Kalamazoo

6 caseworkers, 2 supervisors and 2 informal staff exclusively serving

teens in Kalamazoo

They work on education, goal setting, life skills lessons like family

planning, substance abuse prevention, grief and loss, and cooking

The Futures group is a voluntary support group for teens in foster

care

The Teen Unit and Futures Group

Create a team that is passionate about helping foster youth

Find members from different departments to ensure a holistic

approach

Building our Team at KVCC

Ken Barr Jr.

Director of Student

Strengths Development

Coty Dunten

Life Resources

Coordinator

Karen Steeno van

Staveren

Career and Student

Employment Advisor

We met with the Teen Unit twice to get their input about what would

be helpful for the youth

Meeting 1: observe and learn about their process and what they

perceive as needs

Meeting 2: present options and receive feedback from the

caseworkers

We observed the Futures group at another one of their learning

opportunities to understand how to best engage the group

Meeting their Staff and Youth

Youth need:

Orientation to College

Career and Personal Exploration

Point of Contact

Fun!

High staff ratios and one on one interaction

Caseworkers who know how to use these tools

What did we learn?

3 Sessions

Topics to include self-awareness, career options and college

readiness

Campus tour with interactive portions

Educating and engaging DHS staff

Each student needs customized information they can take to

continue their career exploration

Program Development

Parsons-Talent-Matching Theory

3 steps to understanding

John L. Holland

Vocational choice is an expression of personality

Positive Psychology

Study what is positive, adaptive, creative, fulfilling

Career Development Theories

Career Development Theories

Pre-Survey

Self-Awareness

What are my talents

Brainstorming in large group; multimedia

StrengthsQuest Assessment

Printed signature theme report

Verifying Strengths handout

Casual facilitated conversation

Session One: Who am I?

StrengthsQuest

Interpretation of StrengthsQuest assessment

Session Two: Who Am I

Continued

Brief Introduction to Holland’s Codes

Session Two: Who Am I and

What Can I Do?

Career Awareness/What are my Interests?

MyNextMove.org

Holland code and Job Zone results

O NET resources

Printed career choices

Holland Party Game

Kinesthetic learners; social learning

Lunch

Session Two: What Can I Do?

College Basics and College Success

Connect their interests to possible degrees at KVCC

High School versus College

ETV and TIP

Interactive Tour

Meet Faculty

Talk about degrees at KVCC

Connect what we talked about with concrete examples about what they

can do at KVCC

Post Survey and Q and A

Session Three:

How Do I Get There?

Campus Tour

25 to 30 students attended each of the three sessions, but only 8

students completed both the pre and post surveys

Our sample size is relatively small, but we observed positive

movement in 3 of the 5 areas we surveyed

Data Results

Data Results

0 2 4 6

I understand theprograms/services of

Kalamazoo ValleyCommunity College.

I have the tools toexplore my career

choices.

I can identify mycareer-related

interests.

Pre-Test

Post-Test

2012: 0 Foster Youth enrolled in any college from Teen Unit

2013: 7 Teen Unit Foster Youth enrollment at KVCC

2013 Fall Incoming Class

Contacted the Teen Unit Coordinator to offer meetings with each of

the youth attending KVCC in the Fall

Created KVCC swag bags for the DHS graduation party

Follow up

Tracking system for Teen Unit incoming first-year enrolled students

All 3 sessions to take place during winter semester

Summer bridging for teens planning to attend KVCC

Consistent participation of teens for all 3 sessions

Modifications for 2014

Staff and Time

Cost Effective

Community Collaboration

Next Step: Retention and Persistence

Summary

Questions?