Fostering Growth

Fostering Growth is FI's one-on-one mentoring program. Working with this special population of youth for the past five years has taught the staff at FI that one of the most important things foster youth need is someone to provide them with guidance, encouragement and nurturing. That someone for many of us would be a parent(s), but for these youth many of them go through life without a single stable adult they can call in times of need or to share in a happy moment (graduation, birthday, holiday). The goal of Fostering Imagination's Fostering Growth program is to ensure that each child has atleast one stable adult in their lives to meet those needs. Each adult is encouraged to help guide the child in their transition in to adulthood by helping them plan a life and career plan. Examples of how our mentors are helping our youth are the very things we used to take advantage of from our parents, such as learning how to drive, graduating from high school, tutoring, moving housing, creating resumes, job skills and just someone to support the youth in important milestones and holidays in their lives.

In addition, FI mentors empower youth to become positive peers, future mentors and community role models by providing a variety of opportunities and resources. Our youth have been given the opportunity to travel to Sacramento to speak at the State Capital, Guests on Radio Shows bringing awareness to foster care issues, publish articles in newspapers and so much more. The life experiences FI provides to its youth have made a positive impact on their futures.

Fostering Growth is run by FI's Founder and Outreach Director Ilia Jauregui and the FI's team of one-on-one mentors.

Fostering Family

The Fostering Family program has three different components: Long-term Mentoring, Mentor/Mentee Outings and Mentee Appreciation.

Fostering Creativity

Fostering Creativity is a comprehensive theatre arts and film-making program.

Fostering Discovery

FI's Fostering Discovery Program includes 6-10 outings a year for FI mentees and their mentors. Each outing is planned and implemented by a mentor/mentee team who will work closely with each other to plan an outing from beginning to end. In planning an event, youth will learn valuable skills such as working with a budget, ensuring there is a proper amount of food and drink for participants, soliciting and thanking venues for donations and discounts and working with a guest list (sending out invitations and following up with guests). These skills will teach them how to be responsible and how to work in a team. The teams are encouraged to think outside the box in planning an event such as community outreach projects, fundraisers, and creative events such as filming a movie. However, they are also free to plan other types of events such as BBQs, sporting events and amusement park adventures. Working in these teams, mentees have the benefit of spending countless hours with their mentors that will culminate in a fun event they can share with the rest of the FI mentors and youth.

Each event is also planned to give mentors and mentees time to spend together. "FI is more than an organization, it's a Family!" Martha 15 yr old mentee said. The time spent with our youth is crucial for their social and emotional development. By spending time with their mentors on a regular basis we provide them a stable environment in their unstable lives and a place where they can always receive the support and nurturing they need.

FI's Fostering Discovery Program is run by Dana Bennett, an FI mentor for the past 5 years and former program director.   

On behalf of Surfrider Foundation West LA/Malibu Chapter and Heal the Bay, thank you very much for getting your group together and coming out to be a part of Coastal Cleanup Day. With your participation, we had our best cleanup yet: 154 volunteers and 184 pounds of trash and recyclables collected. We couldn't have done it without your help!

I was so glad to learn of Fostering Imagination and the needs it addresses. Hats off to you for your work and especially for teaching the kids about the environment. I was blown away when I saw you all sitting in a circle playing the pollution game. You rock!

- Laura Boccaletti
Surfrider Foundation West LA/Malibu Chapter