A Project to Inform

Getting Their Point Across

Ensuring that emancipating foster youth have the tools and skills they need to advocate for themselves is the guiding force behind Project Inform.  Project Inform focuses on the importance and effectiveness of using personal experiences and stories to improve youth advocacy efforts. When youth are able to clearly convey their foster care life to an audience, their stories have the power to change the views and thoughts of all who listen. To reach our members and community we use the following vehicles:

Å“   Encouraging chapters to take advantage of local media when planning speak outs, community dinners, and informational sessions has increased CYC’s visibility to media. As a result, CYC’s media network continues to expand both throughout the state and the country.

Å“   As our members and the community take advantage of our website, the communications department is steady working on making the website a conclusive resource for visitors. Currently members, supports and interested persons are able to access information ranging from staff bios to recent legislation and job applications.

Å“   Member fashioned and facilitated trainings is one of CYC’s most effective and used mechanisms for educating the community on the needs of current and former foster youth. Last year CYC was privy to speak both in and out of the state on an array of issues pertaining to foster care.

Å“   CYC’s speaker’s bureau continues to grow and provide our members with the information they need to speak across the state. Members of the speaker’s bureau act as ambassadors of CYC and spread the mission and goals of the organization throughout the state via, keynote addresses, workshops, and trainings.

Å“   EMPOWER! CYC’s statewide newsletter reaches over 2,000 readers. Our network consists of current and former foster youth, policy makers, child welfare professionals and the community at large.

One way to ensure change is made in the child welfare system is to impact the hearts and change the minds of all who work with foster youth. Project Inform has been exceedingly instrumental in assisting CYC do just those things.