Our Mission
OUR MISSION
Bridge Project Fresno’s mission is to nurture whole child supports; to encourage, inspire, and support academic achievement; to ensure access to loving stable environments; and to advocate on behalf of foster & underserved youth.
How will Bridge Project Fresno Accomplish Our Mission?
Bridge Project Fresno will carry out the mission by striving to attain that each program participant feels and experiences the sense of security, love, and being wanted. Bridge Project Fresno seeks to support the whole child with family included when necessary to the learning environment. Healthy development is important in the lives of foster youth according to the Maslow theory (1943) “According to this theory, people have physiological needs (e.g., the need for water and food), a need for safety, a need for love and belongingness, a need for self-esteem and a need for self-actualization”. When these needs are met it decreases frustration which is a known reason foster & underserved youth have mal-adaptive behaviors. Meeting the youth where they are and providing them with the tools they need is what Bridge Project Fresno is striving to accomplish one youth at a time.
How will Bridge Project Fresno Accomplish Our Mission?
The Bridge Project Fresno will carry out the mission by striving to attain that each program participant feels and experiences the sense of security, love, and being wanted. Bridge Project Fresno seeks to support the whole child with family included when necessary to the learning environment. Healthy development is important in the lives of foster youth according to the Maslow theory (1943) “According to this theory, people have physiological needs (e.g., the need for water and food), a need for safety, a need for love and belongingness, a need for self-esteem and a need for self-actualization”. When these needs are met it decreases frustration which is a known reason foster & underserved youth have mal-adaptive behaviors. Meeting the youth where they are and providing them with the tools they need is what Bridge Project Fresno is striving to accomplish one youth at a time.
Our Vision
OUR VISION
Bridge Project Fresno envisions being the ideal navigator a foster/underserved youth needs. By becoming the foster/ underserved youth navigator, all adolescents need while growing up in a world with no support, Bridge Project Fresno succeeds. Foster & underserved youth need to know they matter, are safe, and loved because when youth feel those feelings they are in a relaxed state of mind and their true authentic selves will emerge. Bridge Project Fresno strives to ensure that each youth enrolled in the program is afforded the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Why is Bridge Project Necessary?
The Bridge Project Fresno will carry out the mission by striving to attain that each program participant feels and experiences the sense of security, love, and being wanted. Bridge Project Fresno seeks to support the whole child with family included when necessary to the learning environment. Healthy development is important in the lives of foster youth according to the Maslow theory (1943) “According to this theory, people have physiological needs (e.g., According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS, www.acf.hhs.gov) in 2020, 407,493 children were in the foster care system. According to the National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI, https://nfyi.org/issues/higher-education/) only 50% of foster youth graduate high school, over 40% of school aged children experience have educational problems, dropout rates are 3 times as high, and less than 3% graduate from a 4-year college. We want to change the odds. Bridge Project Fresno is crucial to the success of current foster / underserved youth. Bridge Project Fresno strives to not only ensure that these youth are meeting educational requirements but also learning skills that will make them successful productive adults through whole person supports and evidenced-based research.
Research shows that when a foster / underserved youth has a mentor, they experience an improvement with academic outcomes, relationship skills, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, behavior and interpersonal skills, and a decrease in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use.
Dr. Williams started Bridge Project Fresno based on her experience in foster care with high hopes of giving back to her foster care community by showing the youth that there is someone that cares and is committed to their success. Dr. Williams spent six years in foster care and had six placements during that time. Knowing firsthand the stress of being bounced around and feeling like nobody cared is what fuels this program and the foster youth navigators that are hired have that same lived experience. Foster youth did not get to choose the life they have been forced to live; however, they get to control the outcome
the need for water and food), a need for safety, a need for love and belongingness, a need for self-esteem and a need for self-actualization”. When these needs are met it decreases frustration which is a known reason foster & underserved youth have mal-adaptive behaviors. Meeting the youth where they are and providing them with the tools they need is what Bridge Project Fresno is striving to accomplish one youth at a time.
