Foster youth are often denied access to adequate educational and residential programs that can meet their unique needs. The results are often damaging, with high rates of young parenthood, unemployment, homelessness, inadequate health insurance, reliance on public assistance, severe mental illness and incarceration.

Foster youth often emerge from the system as young adults who don’t have the basic skills to survive. Less than three percent get a college education — arguably their best defense out of a challenging childhood into a worthwhile adult life.

To meet this need, First Star and UCLA created the First Star UCLA Summer Guardian Academy as a first step to help the foster youth of Los Angeles. The college immersion program offers a supportive residential educational program on the UCLA campus for five weeks in the summer for rising 9th-12th grade students to work with highly proficient, experienced staff.

The program is in need of major funding to allow 30 students to complete the Academy. Click here to learn more about the program and how you can help.

First Star President and Co-Founder Peter Samuelson spoke with KFWB’s Maggie McKay about the situation. Listen to the interview here:

And watch this interview:

http://vimeo.com/46937317