Foster Youth Program (PATH Scholars) Annual Report 2023-2024

I. Mission Statement

The Foster Youth Committee is dedicated to current/former foster and/or unaccompanied homeless youth’s diverse higher educational needs. Acting as a liaison with campus and community resources, we strive to enhance access to the California State University, Chico community through collaborative efforts with PATH Scholars and community partners. Our goal is to support the development of successful, proficient, and self-aware individuals in their pursuit of graduation and beyond.

II. Accomplishments - A highlight

• 10-year milestone – PATH Scholars celebrated 10 years of student success with an incredibly impactful student panel, alumni and current students in attendance, along with campus and community supporters and donors. In alignment with the strategic plan, our 10-year anniversary event truly celebrated our student population, proudly highlighted our remarkable students and their successes and shared compelling stories about how PATH Scholars impacted their Chico State experience. Strong and continued collaborations with campus and community supporters demonstrated how our services are impactful, progressive and innovative.

• The program has made significant progress towards securing our own dedicated PATH Scholars Center and ensuring a stable footprint on the Chico State campus. This improvement advances our influence and further supports the work that we do, as well as championing student success beyond the classroom by providing a space to build community and holistic opportunities to promote development and growth.

• Over the last year, PATH Scholars program staff dedicated time to work in collaboration with Creative Media & Technology to bolster Outreach tools for use with specific audiences in mind, such as prospective students, Foster Youth supporters (high school personnel, social workers, Independent Living Program case managers, etc.) as well as donors. For example, we are sharing student stories by way of short videos to capture and highlight student success while overcoming intense barriers, in addition to emphasizing program services that are impactful, progressive and innovative in the ever-changing landscape of higher education.

Former foster youth and unaccompanied homeless minors are less likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree due to a variety of challenges and lack of opportunities. Our students experience and overlap in complex ways of intersectionality, including age, gender, ethnicity, color, nationality, migration and neurodivergence to name a few. PATH Scholars approaches students in a holistic and strengths-based lens to support in retention and graduation.

III. Program Statistics and Assessment for Past Year

• For Spring 2024, PATH Scholars served 103 students. We celebrated 18 graduates for the 23/24 academic year; two of those graduated with Master’s degrees!

• PATH Scholars employs an anonymous End of the Year Survey to measure student satisfaction, program goals and student feedback. This survey was emailed to all 103 students at the end of the academic year and received 29 responses. Here are a few highlights:
  • Twenty students answered the question – “Please rate how helpful Accessing the PATH Scholars Center (for computers, printing, meet with staff, Lunch at the Center, socialize with peers, hang out/relax, etc.) to your overall success as a student this academic year.” Ninety five percent (95%) of those respondents stated that it was Extremely Helpful or Very Helpful to their overall success.
  • Nineteen students answered the question – “To what extent did your individual meetings/sessions with program staff impact your success in Identifying and/or applying for additional financial resources, such as textbook funds, Basic Needs, CalFresh, PATH Scholars Emergency Funds, graduation related costs, etc.).”Eighty four percent (84%) of those respondents stated that it had a Significant Impact or Moderate Impact on their overall success.
  • Twenty-two students answered the question – “What is your overall level of satisfaction with your PATH Scholars experience?” Ninety one percent (91%) of those respondents stated that they are Very Satisfied or Moderately Satisfied.
    • One respondent shared this additional comment: It gave me college experiences that I likely wouldn't have had because of COVID and provided the assistance, snacks and support when I really needed it most! Marina and Coral are the best as far as support, checking in and following up, which is what you need when you don't have people in your life that do that for you. As a PATH Scholar student you can use all these things more so than a regular student because you don't always grow up with the guidance, support and structure needed to navigate college, but these ladies make sure you hold yourself accountable now with the proper knowledge and resources to get you there!

IV. Integrate Unit Objectives with Strategic Action Plan in 2024-25

Proudly Owning Who We Are

• Regenerating the campus Foster Youth Committee –Capitalizing on the strengths, expertise and passion of folks across campus departments will continue to promote the mission of the University. Reviving and reimagining the focus of this committee will be essential to student success.

• Reunite the Foster Youth Committee at least one time per semester.

Leveraging Our Strengths in What We Do

• Successful move-in to the new PATH Scholars Center – This program location offers a safe and community-driven space for participants. This “sense of belonging” promotes student success beyond the classroom and actively provides holistic opportunities focused on development and growth (i.e. networking, independent living skills, self-actualization, self-advocacy, etc.) that transcends into life after college, as Chico State alumni and community citizens.

  • Continue working closely with university leadership to move into the new PATH Scholars Center by winter break.

Advancing Our Influence by How We Do Our Work

• Increase program professional staff to meet the current needs and further expand– While this student group has unlimited potential, access to and retention in higher education proves challenging due to countless and unique adversities and barriers. Current services, such as dedicated campus partners and key department liaisons, are undoubtedly making a positive impact. Consequently, program expansion is only possible with additional staff.

  • Increase program staff from two to three professional staff by the end of the spring 2025 semester.