Press Release: Transition-Age Foster Youth in Mississippi to Benefit from Innovative New Housing Program

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JACKSON, MS (September 5, 2024) — First Place for Youth, the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting foster […]

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Celebrating a Summer of Growth and Connection: First Place for Youth’s Summer Bridge Program

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This summer has been filled with excitement, learning, and community building, all thanks to our dedicated teams and supporters! As […]

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Pasadena Star-News: Groundbreaking housing project for foster youth unveiled in East Pasadena

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Six young people transitioning out of foster care now have a place to call their own, thanks to a groundbreaking housing project unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony in East Pasadena on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

The initiative is the result of an unprecedented partnership between educational, nonprofit and governmental leaders in the region to tackle student homelessness, a growing problem in Los Angeles County, project leaders said.

It has successfully transformed two properties at 2322 E. Foothill Blvd. into six studio apartments for young adults aged 18-21.

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EdSource: Pasadena City College opens housing for transitional-age foster youth

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Pasadena City College will provide students who are transitioning out of foster care with studio housing units, LAist reported.

First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee told LAist that it can be difficult for foster youth to graduate due to insufficient housing, transportation and economic resources.

Among transitional youth, less than 10% of those who attended college completed a degree, a report found.

“As we call it in the world of child welfare, they always have the ‘cliff’ staring at them when all the services and supports kind of fall away, and they have to be able to do it on their own,” Lee told LAist.

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LAist: Pasadena City College opens first housing unit for foster youth

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Pasadena City College is opening its first housing unit near its campus for transitional-age foster youth.

The six studio units will be for PCC students who are aging out of foster care in an effort to support students toward graduation, said Thomas Lee, CEO of First Place for Youth, a youth services agency that’s partnering with the college.

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A Candid Conversation on Foster Care: Insights from First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee and Foster Youth 

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On June 5, 2024, First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee sat down with four remarkable young adults—Sky Celine (she/her), […]

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New Connections & Opportunities Were Made at the Art + Practice Job & Resource Fair!

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On Thursday, July 18, First Place for Youth partnered with Art + Practice to host a fantastic Job & Resource […]

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Summer Bridge Kickoff at Lake Chabot

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First Place for Youth’s Alameda County/ San Francisco County team hosted their first official Summer Bridge event on a beautiful […]

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California Youth Voice Members Advocate for Change in Sacramento, CA!

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On April 17th, First Place for Youth hosted our second annual Advocacy Day at the California State Capitol. This significant […]

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Advancing Equitable AI in the US Social Sector

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One example of an organization using AI to support evidence-based decision-making is First Place for Youth, an organization that helps foster youth make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. First Place for Youth built a recommendation engine that uses precision analytics—a technology that predicts trends and behavioral patterns by discovering cause-and-effect relationships in data—to analyze program administration and case assessment data, and learn from differences in outcomes among youth.

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March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place!

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March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place for Youth where we acknowledge all of our young people’s efforts in […]

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Empowering Young Lives: Updates from My First Place™ Program Launch in New Jersey 

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Nearly six months ago, First Place for Youth and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) launched […]

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Trauma-Informed Care in Action at First Place 

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For foster youth who have experienced trauma and instability, the transition to adulthood is a pivotal journey that can be […]

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Share the Spirit: After years in the foster system, a young woman gets a room of her own

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With First Place for Youth in her corner, Jayla Lackaff is studying video game design at College of Alameda

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CBS News: Sacramento man goes from foster care to finding calling as a pharmacy tech

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SACRAMENTO — From foster care to pharmacy tech, a young man didn’t just overcome a challenging childhood – he wants to make sure others can do the same.

Macario Harris is only 24 years old, but he’s already found his calling.

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Fostering Success Through Community Collaboration

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The journey to adulthood is a critical phase in every young person’s life, filled with hopes, dreams, and aspirations. For […]

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How First Place is Leveraging Data for Lasting Impact 

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Over the last 25 years, we’ve seen the transformative power of data in enhancing programs for foster youth– and we […]

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A Summer of Growth and Exploration with Summer Bridge!

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Summer Bridge is back in session! Over the past six weeks, our summer program has provided young people with incredible […]

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Vision Board Fun with Art + Practice

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This month, we held our first ever Vision Board Party and Luncheon with our partners at Art + Practice The […]

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Youth and Staff Gathered to Give Thanks

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The holidays can be a hard time for foster youth.  But over the last week at all of our housing […]

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Summertime Fun Across the State

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Up and down the state this summer, our First Place team has hosted weekly events and activities in the six-week […]

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PSE WEBINAR | June 21, 2022 @ 11 AM PDT

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Coaching to Success: Post-Secondary Coaching to Drive Higher Progress & Completion Rates For Foster Youth Held: June 21, 2022 at 11 […]

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Featured Alumni: Julius’ Foster Care Journey

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Julius, a My First Place alumnus, joined the program when he was 22 years old after his sister introduced him […]

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Mississippi Youth Voice Leaders Champion a Historic Win!

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It’s official!   On April 27th, Mississippi became the 36th state to pass a tuition waiver for foster youth pursuing postsecondary […]

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