Dear Fostering Connections Supporters,
I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer vacation! The summer sure went by quickly this year. It was great to enjoy time in the outdoors with family and friends.
In July, we had our Career Readiness Academy DeLand session. Nineteen students in DeLand completed our Career Readiness Academy program. We are so proud of our students and are excited to see them achieve their goals this year. Thank you to our donors and volunteers for helping us have a successful 2023 Career Readiness Academy. In total, thirty-one students completed Career Readiness Academy this year in Jacksonville and DeLand, a 48% increase from 2022. Read a full program recap in this month's newsletter. Stay tuned for information about our 2024 Career Readiness Academy sessions and opportunities to give support.
As the school year begins and fall approaches, we have a full program calendar here at Fostering Connections to support the youth and families we serve. For our families with children in grades Pre-K-5 there are monthly Foster/Adoptive Family Meet Up events for families to build relationships with other families and enjoy a night of family fun. For families with teens in grades 6-12, we have two Teen Talk events this fall; September 30 at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and December 9 at the St. Johns Town Center. Teen Talk events are for teens impacted by foster care, adoption, or trauma to build friendships with other teens and enjoy new experiences. For our teens in grades 9-12, we will have four College Readiness Academy sessions this fall throughout the five county region we serve for students interested in attending college or technical college. Online registration is available for all programs. Read more in our newsletter and be sure to stay tuned for volunteer opportunities at these events as the dates get closer.
To support our growing programs, we will be partnering with local organizations and businesses for micro events this fall to fund the work of Fostering Connections. During the month of August and September, we are very excited to be partnering with The Magic Hideaway, a brilliant magic and mind-reading experience with award-winning Master Magician Bill Abbott at the iconic Casa Monica Resort & Spa. For every ticket purchased during the months of August and September, $20 will be donated to Fostering Connections. Learn how you can purchase your tickets in this month's newsletter. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming Micro events in our September newsletter.
Thank you for all you do to support the mission and programs of Fostering Connections. I look forward to seeing you at Fostering Connections programs and events this fall!
Kind Regards,
Aubrie Simpson-Gotham
Founder & CEO
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