Emerging Eagles
The Emerging Eagles Program (Fostering Achievement Program) was established to address the overwhelming need for a comprehensive support structure to assist foster youth in making the transition from a structured foster care program to independent young adulthood. The Fellowship program will provide financial, academic, and social support to assist college-bound youth aging out of foster care to pursue a college education. These supports come in many forms, including individual and group meetings, the creation of educational plans, as well as the continued linkage of resources both within the TCC community and the Tallahassee community at large.
The major pillars of support that FAF provides include the following:
Academic
Includes meeting and touring campus with FAF ambassadors, training and workshops on TCC Passport, Canvas, and various technologies as well as college success assigned FAF Academic Advisor and eligibility for an early registration window.
Career Readiness
Fellows are supported throughout their time at TCC to create and update their career goals in order to track progress toward these goals. In addition to goal planning, work skills, personal branding and career exploration sessions are a regular part of FAF. Our program partners closely with the TCC Career Center as well as the Internship program to provide enhanced opportunities to Fellows such as Career shadowing.
Finances
A principal goal of the Fostering Achievement Fellowship program is to ensure that Fellows have adequate financial resources available in order to maximize the potential for their academic success. Throughout a Fellow’s time at TCC there will be multiple opportunities to complete financial literacy workshops and training. Many students are eligible for the DCF tuition waiver or the Post-Secondary Educational Support Services (PESS) stipend, although primary responsibility for ensuring these benefits falls to the Department of Children & Families and Big Bend Community Based Care, it is the duty of FAF to assist in ensuring that proper services are in place.
Additional Support
The Eat & Meet is a monthly function with multiple purposes. First, it provides an opportunity for continued relationship-building between Fellows and their mentors. Second, it provides a time to update Fellows and mentors on progress in the FAF program. Third, Eat & Meets are an opportunity to discuss any barriers or obstacles that youth may encounter that would be beneficial to share with the group. Finally, these informal sessions are opportune times to collect feedback from the Fellows on the FAF program and how it might be improved. These meetings provide a space for many workshops, training, and presentations as well as a celebration of accomplishments.