Q. Tell us about Educate Tomorrow and the Changemakers project. What are its primary goals?

Educate Tomorrow, a nonprofit focused on serving youth with experience in foster care and homelessness, oversees Fostering Success Michigan (FSM), a statewide initiative focused on the postsecondary access and success of youth with lived experience in foster care. FSM acts as a backbone organization, supporting nearly 30 campuses and colleges across the state.

The goal of Changemakers has really been to build out campus support, further our relationship with the campuses in Kent County, and aid students in getting to and through college. We train our Lead Changemakers — our student mentors — to support other students who have had adverse childhood experiences and connect them to resources using the 7 Life Domains model.

One of our Lead Changemakers used to be a youth at one of the ILP homes we visited. He heard our story, buckled down on his schoolwork, got good grades, and gave us a call when he was applying to college.

Q. How has youth voice shaped this project?

Our Lead Changemakers and the students we serve have been instrumental in shaping the work of this project by driving the content and support we’ve offered. A key activity has included virtual trainings in vital life skills and topics that the youth themselves have named as a need or interest — including voting, time management, and budgeting.

We’ve also been able to offer our students advocacy opportunities by writing blogs for FSM’s website and speaking with legislators on FSM’s annual Advocacy Day and MCAN’s annual Advocacy Day.

Q. What are your priorities for the remainder of the grant period?

Our priorities include increasing facilitation opportunities for our Lead Changemakers, scheduling an in-person convening in Kent County in May 2026 for National Foster Care Month, and scheduling a statewide student panel. We also plan to do another round of outreach and recruitment at all four campuses in Kent County.

Q. What do you hope is the lasting impact of Changemakers?

The ultimate goal of this project is to empower young people through education so they’re not just able to survive but thrive. What I really hope this project does is aid us — society as a whole — in building a better community through education by connecting students who have had adverse childhood experiences to local campuses, programs, and supports.

Q. What have you learned that you’d share with other organizations who support youth?

The largest lesson we’ve learned is that there are a large number of refugee students at campuses, and there are many misconceptions about the unique needs of these students. Providing direct services in key areas of the state enhances campus-based development, statewide network development, and robust postsecondary and career pipelines for students.

Many students who have lived experience in foster care don’t have traditional family support, sound support systems, or know what their options are post-high school. FSM has worked hard to create a robust network to support these young folks, and Changemakers is one part of that ever-changing puzzle.