(Posted 2024 October)
The Department of Family Services is excited to share the achievements of our recent graduates from the Virtual Career Academy (VCA) program, an initiative designed to equip youth in foster care between 14-20 years old with essential skills for their future careers. This Initiative by the Fostering Futures Unit within the Fairfax Foster Care and Adoption Program was a great success!
This year, 11 out of 14 participants ranging from 16-20 years old successfully completed the program, a testament to their hard work and dedication. Organizers held a celebration on Aug. 16 to honor the successes and highlight the experiences of all the VCA graduates in foster care. Thursday, August 8, friends, loved ones, and other supporters helped commemorate the graduate’s accomplishments. The future is bright for these young people.
A Tailored Training Experience
This six-week summer program (July 1 through Aug. 8) developed young people’s skills in group collaboration during classes and individual effort through homework assignments. This included:
- Virtual group sessions Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-Noon.
- Two independent weekly assignments.
- “Career Chat Thursdays” featured professionals from various fields and diverse backgrounds.
In addition, the Fostering Futures Unit meticulously crafted the VCA curriculum as a comprehensive training experience featuring crucial topics such as:
- Resume writing and leveraging artificial intelligence.
- Effective networking strategies.
- Financial literacy.
- Using social media effectively.
- Workplace etiquette, conduct, and style.
- Interview dos and don’ts.
The Tangible Rewards
The budding young professionals had an opportunity to try out their new skills during mock interviews conducted by a variety of community volunteers. This gave them valuable first-hand experience and real-time feedback.
One anonymous graduate shared, “I thank Ms. Pamela, Ms. Emily, and Ms. Charisma for their patience and support. I have learned a lot. Classes are ending, but I leave with more knowledge than I had before, all thanks to the VCA program.” Such testimonials reflect the program’s impact on the participants’ personal and professional growth.
In addition, each youth was incentivized to earn up to $1,200 throughout the training for attendance and individual assignments, and there were additional bonuses for perfect attendance and completing all assignments. Graduates also received certificates, letters of completion, and were entered into gift card raffles during the virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments.
The Program’s Impact
As we celebrate the achievements of our graduates, organizers hope this program will grow to serve more youth next year. This year staff was thrilled to welcome two foster care participants from the City of Alexandria making an even larger impact in our community.
Thank you to the partners who helped to make the VCA a reality including presenters Maureen Headland, India Pearson with the Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Warren Smith with DFS Employment & Training. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey. Together, we can empower youth in foster care to thrive and succeed in their future endeavors.
This article posting is part of the Foster Family News monthly newsletter designed to keep foster parents informed about all the new and notable happenings in Fairfax County.
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