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CWLA Presents the Guardian Scholars Program at California State University, Fullerton with a Fostering Educational Success Award
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
February 27, 2009, Arlington, VA -- CWLA has announced that it will give a Fostering Educational Success award to the Guardian Scholars program at California State University, Fullerton at a leadership awards dinner to be held on February 24, 2009 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. .
The Fostering Educational Success Award recognizes a college, university, or other accredited post-secondary education or training institution that excels in promoting educational success for current and former foster youth by providing a learning and living environment that is healthy, safe, nurturing, and supportive.
In order to be accepted, candidates should show exceptional leadership and demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to a comprehensive array of programmatic, financial, and other resources that help students who have been in placed in foster care successfully complete post-secondary learning.
"The recent passage by Congress of the Fostering Connections to Success Act provided the impetus to establish this award. The legislation requires child welfare agencies to work more aggressively with foster youth who are aging-out of foster care. The Guardian Scholars Program provides a national model that demonstrates that foster youth can and do succeed. We are proud to present the award and hope that the model will be replicated in all 50 states," commented Linda Spears, CWLA Vice President for Policy and Communications.
Founded in 1998 by Ron Davis, The Guardian Scholars program at California State University, Fullerton is the first educational institution to be honored by CWLA for its exceptional leadership and success in providing former foster youth (ages 17-23) the support they need to make their academic dreams a reality. This comprehensive year-round program housed in the Division of Student Affairs, works in partnership with the child welfare and the community and promotes educational success though a combination of financial, academic and emotional/social support for foster youth.
Year-round housing guarantees, grocery cards, move-in and emergency supports are among the tools used to meet the daily living needs of students. Weekly academic advisement and regular progress reports help students stay on task with coursework and a drop-in center provides a place to socialize and study. A new program has recently been established to provide assistance to students after graduation. Overall, the program boasts a 72% cohort retention rate that is on par with the university's overall. A group of 41 ethnically diverse students are enrolled currently and 51 students have graduated since the programs inception. The Guardian Scholars program has provided a national template for fostering educational success that has been adopted by colleges and universities across the country.
Since 1920, The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) has been the nation's pre-eminent membership-based organization dedicated to ensuring that disadvantaged and vulnerable children are protected from harm and have the tools and resources they need to grow into the healthy and happy adults we want them to become. CWLA is the trusted authority for professionals who work with children and the only national organization with public and private member agencies working across all sectors of the children's services field.
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