Helping Local Youth Learn Critical Life Skills and Build Social Capital
I Pour Life believes that every at-risk and foster care youth deserves the opportunity to learn critical life skills and build social capital within their community, just like we all depend on for a better future. We do this through a program called LifeStrengths.
The Challenge of Older Youth in Foster Care
Of young adults age 21 who have aged out of the foster care system:
- 45% are unemployed
- 29% did not earn a high school diploma or GED
- 26% do not have stable housing
- 20% have had a child
At-risk and foster care youth face a form of social and economic disadvantage that drastically increases their risk of school drop out, incarceration, homelessness, and unplanned pregnancies. But we believe there is a form of positive development training that can avoid these risks altogether.
Our LifeStrengths positive youth development program begins by helping our youth evaluate their inherent inner self through Life Lessons, developing our youths’ external self through Life Skills, and build their interdependent network with their community through the Social Capital Club.
LifeStrengths is a positive youth development program designed to help youth avoid the inherent statistics that surround their situation.
Beginning with Life Lessons, youth evaluate four critical areas for interpersonal growth.
Relationships
Cultivating healthy relationships is a key part of growing. Youth learn to evaluate relationships and foster those that are most valuable and safe.
Identity
Youth are taught to discover their unique skills and strengths in order to cultivate a healthy sense of self-identity and potential.
Situations
We are each living in a series of complex situations, some painful and difficult. Youth develop the skills necessary to recognize and interact with their situation.
Emotions
Learning to identify and process emotions is an important part of life. Youth are given a space to process and evaluate their emotions.
Building upon the interpersonal growth, our LifeCoaches help youth
develop in five core Life Skills.
Healthy Living
Education
Employment
Stable Housing
Financial Literacy
The LifeStrengths program offers youth an opportunity to join the Social Capital Club - a place where they can build their network and help create an interdependent relationship with their community.
Social Capital Club
Our communities are stronger when we all work together for the betterment of our neighbors.
The Social Capital Club connects youth and community members to develop stronger networks, life skills, and access to community resources through monthly meetings, quarterly social gatherings, and annual milestone celebrations.
