We received a generous grant that will help our children in foster care. The check was presented Thursday at Forest Hill High School.
AT&T Aspire awarded a two-year, $500,000 grant to ChildNet and Best Foot Forward, which will provide graduation coaches to 50 students who are in foster care. The graduation coaches will allow the District to continue its push to increase the high school graduation rate, one of the long-term outcomes outlined in the new Strategic Plan.
“This program gives me the support system that I didn’t have and guidance to stay on track,” said Ari Morales, a senior at Forest Hill High School who is in foster care and benefits from the Best Foot Forward Program. His sisters were also helped by the graduation coaches.
The Best Foot Forward graduation coaches work with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to build self esteem, encourage strong learning habits, become better students and prepare for college. Best Foot Forward has a 100 percent graduation rate with the foster care students in their program, compared with the national average of 46 percent.
This grant was a renewal to a previous two-year grant from AT&T that we received in 2014.
“I wanted to be here today to let them know that they have really had an impact on my life,” said Morales, who is excited to graduate in June.
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