Fostering Pathways to Success: A Conference for Transitioning and Emancipated Foster Youth and Supporters 

Conference Registration: 8 am to 9 am
Conference Program begins at 9 am

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Ohio Reach network invite you to join us on Thursday, September 24, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio, for the 2015 Fostering Pathways to Success conference. This dynamic one-day conference will offer meaningful learning and networking opportunities for young adults ages 14 to 21 who are or were formerly in foster care. Workshops also will be offered for campus liaisons, college access professionals, workforce program professionals, foster parents and caseworkers. The conference will combine both the annual Ohio Reach Summit and the annual Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living Conference to help improve social, educational and employment outcomes for young people in foster care.

This year’s luncheon keynote speaker will be Trent Shelton, founder of Rehab Time. It wasn't until Trent hit his lowest point, after being released from multiple NFL teams along with the birth of his son, that he decided to work on becoming the best person he could be. In March of 2009, Trent picked up his iPhone and started sharing two-minute videos of his progress as a means of helping him stay  accountable while bettering his life. Trent reaches over 35 million people a week through his daily messages and videos. Trent is the best-selling author of three self-help books, with his fourth self-help journal, It All Starts with You, set to release this year.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Current and Former Foster Youth, Higher Education Professionals, Child Welfare Professionals, Technical School Professionals, Legal Professionals, Government Administrators, and Foster Youth Advocates.

*For Adults Only - By registering for the 2015 Conference, you give the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Ohio Reach permission to use your photograph in future publications.

Sessions for Foster Youth and Alumni will include:

• Health Clinic
  
• Job Search and Career Planning with Ohio Means Jobs
  
• Suits for Success
  
• Apprenticeship & Career Demonstrations
  
• College Fair and Post-Secondary Options
  
• Vocations in Demand
  
• Bridge to the Future
  
• Alternatives to going AWOL
• Youth Tools for YAB development

 

Sessions for Adults will include:

• Facilitating Independent Living Preparation for younger youth
  
• Understanding Permanency and Independent Living
• Housing Options
• Campus Liaison strategies
  
• Trauma Informed Care
• Funding Independent Living
  

For Additional Information, Contact: 

William Murray IV - Ohio Reach Coordinator, william@pcsao.org or

Alice Worrell - Assistant  Deputy Director, ODJFS  Office of Workforce Development, Alice.Worrell@jfs.ohio.gov

Deadline for Registration is September 15th, 2015. Register early to secure your spot.

Please Note: If you are registering a current foster youth, please do not register them through this site. Instead, email Shelly Boyd the details of the youth that will be attending at Transitional-Youth-Programs@jfs.ohio.gov  

Register Now! 

Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living is an initiative sponsored by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The goals are to:

• Dramatically improve educational, employment and earnings outcomes for young adults who have experienced foster care,
• Better support their transition to adulthood,
• Prevent and reduce the incidence of early pregnancy, 
• Break down program and funding silos for more effective cross-system services.

Ohio Reach improves postsecondary outcomes for foster care youth and alumni through leadership, empowerment, advocacy, research and networking.