Post by Aging Out on Jan 22, 2013 16:11:13 GMT -8
Greetings!
My name is Linda, and I am a non-traditional (meaning, older) student at Eastern Oregon University, and I am the founder of agingout.boards.net. In fact, it is my senior capstone project. By the time you read this, I will probably be an Eastern Oregon University graduate. At least I hope so. My mission here is ever so humble. I am here to learn. I am not trying to reinvent what others have already done. I am, however, trying to create a niche for youth aging out of foster care. I did a fair amount of research in order to learn what resources were available for youth aging out, and there are a lot of really helpful sites out there. But these resources can seem fairly scattered. My idea was to bring them all together into one central location, and organize them into categories: education, employment, housing, healthcare, mentoring, and so on. The main difference between my project and similar sites is that this collection of resources will revolve around an aging out forum, the only forum on the internet that is specific to foster youth aging out and the transition process. It is a place where youth can communicate with each other, as well as with young adults who have already transitioned, with foster parents, caseworkers, and with other caring adults. Through collaboration and communication, foster youth aging out will have access to the best possible support network available online. At least, that is my vision.
I see agingout.boards.net as an ever-changing, evolving, collaborative web site. But its success depends upon your involvement and participation. At first, it might seem to echo in here. Until we see some growth, it might even seem rather lonely. But in time, the community itself will determine the direction of the site. I hope for an elaborate and lively community that is continually enhanced by a comprehensive list of resources.
I hope to provide some of the resources here in Spanish as well as in English. My bachelor's degree combines two minors, in Sociology and Spanish. Just to be clear, I am not a counselor, nor am I qualified to offer advice to anyone aging out. I am, however, a good 'bloodhound'. If you need information, I will try to find it for you. I will try to point you in the right direction whenever possible. If you need advice, I will try to enlist professionals who are more skilled and informed than I am. You may, however, hear me express my opinion from time to time.
Primarily, I wanted my senior project to be more than an oversized term paper that gets chucked in the trash once the term is over. I wanted my project to be of use to someone. I wanted it to live on in my community, long after I created it. I want it to be something that is never "done", but rather a never-ending conversation. I hope for that possibility.
Before posting, PLEASE read the community guidelines, privacy/safety policy, disclaimer, and mission.
Thank you so much for joining us!
Linda
My name is Linda, and I am a non-traditional (meaning, older) student at Eastern Oregon University, and I am the founder of agingout.boards.net. In fact, it is my senior capstone project. By the time you read this, I will probably be an Eastern Oregon University graduate. At least I hope so. My mission here is ever so humble. I am here to learn. I am not trying to reinvent what others have already done. I am, however, trying to create a niche for youth aging out of foster care. I did a fair amount of research in order to learn what resources were available for youth aging out, and there are a lot of really helpful sites out there. But these resources can seem fairly scattered. My idea was to bring them all together into one central location, and organize them into categories: education, employment, housing, healthcare, mentoring, and so on. The main difference between my project and similar sites is that this collection of resources will revolve around an aging out forum, the only forum on the internet that is specific to foster youth aging out and the transition process. It is a place where youth can communicate with each other, as well as with young adults who have already transitioned, with foster parents, caseworkers, and with other caring adults. Through collaboration and communication, foster youth aging out will have access to the best possible support network available online. At least, that is my vision.
I see agingout.boards.net as an ever-changing, evolving, collaborative web site. But its success depends upon your involvement and participation. At first, it might seem to echo in here. Until we see some growth, it might even seem rather lonely. But in time, the community itself will determine the direction of the site. I hope for an elaborate and lively community that is continually enhanced by a comprehensive list of resources.
I hope to provide some of the resources here in Spanish as well as in English. My bachelor's degree combines two minors, in Sociology and Spanish. Just to be clear, I am not a counselor, nor am I qualified to offer advice to anyone aging out. I am, however, a good 'bloodhound'. If you need information, I will try to find it for you. I will try to point you in the right direction whenever possible. If you need advice, I will try to enlist professionals who are more skilled and informed than I am. You may, however, hear me express my opinion from time to time.
Primarily, I wanted my senior project to be more than an oversized term paper that gets chucked in the trash once the term is over. I wanted my project to be of use to someone. I wanted it to live on in my community, long after I created it. I want it to be something that is never "done", but rather a never-ending conversation. I hope for that possibility.
Before posting, PLEASE read the community guidelines, privacy/safety policy, disclaimer, and mission.
Thank you so much for joining us!
Linda