Apple Impact Grant Awarded to Support Success Coaches for Foster Youth

Apple Federal Credit Union Foundation has awarded the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) an Apple Impact Grant of $15,000 to bolster the efforts of career coaches for Virginia’s foster youth.

The Apple Federal Credit Union Foundation is a longtime supporter of Great Expectations, a nationally recognized program created by the VFCCE to help current and former foster youth complete high school, gain access to a community college education, and make a successful transition from the foster system to living independently.

Great Expectations pairs students with trained “success coaches” who provide the educational and career-planning support that normally comes from a stable family environment. This individual guidance also consists of life skills training, including managing finances and applying for and keeping a job, that helps students to build sustainable futures. A recent study published by The Review of Higher Education concluded that not only do students feel a positive impact in their mental health and self-esteem as a result of this type of one-on-one guidance, they also measure higher in rates of achievement, persistence, degree attainment, and vertical transfers.

The $15,000 Apple Impact Grant was awarded to expand the coaching programs available through the Great Expectations programs at Germanna Community College, Lord Fairfax Community College, and Northern Virginia Community College. These funds will help more than two hundred students who have experienced foster care to set and reach life-changing career goals.

For more information about how you can help support the Great Expectations program, please contact Susan Nolan, Corporate and Foundations Manager, at (804) 819-1694.