<![CDATA[Authentic Life Coaching - Blog]]>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:00:38 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[5 Ways to Support Foster Youth in Pursuing an Education]]>Wed, 26 Oct 2016 03:20:35 GMThttp://www.authenticyouthcoaching.com/blog/-5-ways-to-support-foster-youth-in-pursuing-an-education
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​Foster youth deserve a chance to get an education as much as any other child but they face unique challenges. The schools that youth in foster care attend are often among the lowest-performing, foster students are more likely to be “old” for their grade level, and to perform poorly on standardized tests. Even if foster youth enroll in college, they are less likely to graduate with a degree than their non-foster peers. With these challenges facing the foster care system today, there are five vital ways we can support the youth and help them gain an education.
1. Dropout Prevention – One of the biggest challenges facing foster students is staying in school. Programs like First Things First and Twelve Together work to keep youth engaged in their classes with the hope that the students will reach graduation.  With increasing class sizes and little to no support at home foster care students are in need of more one-on-one attention in order to be successful.
 
2. At-Risk Student Intervention – Instead of targeting the entire student body, interventions focused specifically on at-risk students can be tailored to their individual needs. While they are in foster care, youth continue to lag behind their peers academically, making customized care especially important.
 
3. Summer Enrichment – Every student looks forward to summer. However, non-foster children are often enrolled in activities and camps that continue to improve their learning, even if the activities are not academically oriented. Foster students can benefit greatly by monthly follow up and motivational training. Life skill instruction and workshops help students and their caregivers to navigate the complexities of gaining a higher education.
 
4. School Day Intervention – Helping students after school can be beneficial but programs that support students throughout their school day increase the overall presence of support in the student’s life. College counselors can help students to create an academic plan, including specific goals. They also provide educational advocacy and act as a personal mentor as they follow students for six years through home and school placement changes.
 
5. Academic Advising – The idea of attending college is intimidating, especially for foster students who lack the example and support from family. With academic advising they can have that consistent support to encourage them towards a higher degree. Having access to academic advising helps students receive information about the college application process and associated costs.
 
Once accepted and enrolled into a program, students can have a positive experience, thanks to these programs that help them be successful in their academic careers.
]]><![CDATA[It’s not the youth – it’s you!]]>Sat, 30 Jul 2016 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.authenticyouthcoaching.com/blog/-its-not-the-youth-its-you
​Over the years I’ve worked in several capacities in youth services. Many times I have found that youth service professionals are burned out and frustrated in their day-to-day work with youth because they don’t feel like they are making an impact. Most of the time they are trying to ‘make’ young people ‘do’ something and they find themselves in a power struggles. This gets very little accomplished.
When I coach youth service professionals and youth about interactions, often times the adults  feel like they don’t have any leverage with youth because they feel like they don’t have power ‘over’ them to get them to cooperate. On the other hand, the young person feels they are constantly being nagged by the adult. As adults we frequently feel like youth should do what they are told (which I totally agree with) but when working with at-risk populations I have found that they have not been exposed to the values some of us grew up with and they have no context of the ‘old-school’ up bringing model. So as adults we immediately label situations and the youth as disrespectful, rude, and non-compliant.
 
In actuality, it is our approach to the youth (and in any situation for that matter) that set the tone for the response or result we get.  When I coach the young person about a situation usually they say “if he/she would have asked me and not burst into my room demanding that I get it done, I would have done it.” Youth often resist because they know it frustrates the adult and sometimes they get a kick out of it.  Here are three things you can do to engage a youth in getting a task done:

  1. Ask, don’t tell. Sounds simple right? As an adult we need to set aside our pride and simply ask the young person to complete the task.
  2. Give them a reasonable time frame in which to complete the task. If you come into their room and  tell them to have it clean in 30 minutes, when you know it will take two hours, you are setting them up for failure. Instead, negotiate a timeframe in which they can successfully accomplish the task and hold them to it.
  3. Come to an agreement on clear expectations. Adults get so upset because a task has not been completed to their standard when in the youth’s mind, they had done what they had been asked to do. So if you need all the items off the floor, the floor swept and mopped, then clearly set those expectations so everyone understands. 
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