May 5, 9:30am – 11am

Co-developed and co-led by youth leaders with experience in foster care, this session will illuminate what young people want and what they actually mean when asking for a ‘mentor’. We will discuss Think of Us’ recent findings from surveys and focus groups on how youth characterize and feel about the relationships in their lives. We will hear directly from youth what they are looking for in a ‘mentor’, i.e. role, characteristics, values and why these relationships thrive or fail. Youth will also share feedback about how they prefer to engage with mentors, especially in a virtual setting, to develop trust and create authentic connections.

Speakers:

Alain Datcher, Executive Director, LA County Youth Commission

Vinny D’Averso, Mentor Program Director, Alliance for Children’s Rights

Anna Judson, Youth Speaker, UC Berkeley Guardian Scholars Student, MAPS

Perla Lozano, Youth Speaker, Foster Greatness Mentor, Doing Good Works, MAPS

Latrice Marie,  Youth Speaker, Better Youth/RightWay Foundation

Alexis Obinna,  Youth Speaker, Scholar, Ready to Succeed LA

Chloe Renee, Youth Speaker, Better Youth

Alicia Smith, Former Foster Youth, UCLA MSW Student & Foster Together Network Backbone Team Member

Shantell Steve, Manager of Lived Experience, Think of Us