Empowering Foster Youth One Life Skill at a Time: Student Voices Make a Lasting Impact
Across Palm Beach County, a wave of student-led compassion and creativity is reshaping how foster youth access essential life skills. Through the Speak Up for Kids Life Skills Portal, dedicated youth volunteers have stepped up to share their knowledge, talents, and hearts, creating tools that help foster youth navigate real-life challenges with greater confidence and support.
From storm preparedness to public transit, from financial literacy to mental wellness, students are addressing the kinds of everyday gaps that many teens in foster care face without stable support systems. Lakshith Senthil led the charge with multiple projects, including guides on local transportation, storm safety, and understanding GED options, each designed to build self-reliance in the face of uncertainty. Sofia Cosie expanded this effort with a user-friendly guide on how to navigate Palm Tran, helping teens move more confidently around their community.
Others turned inward to foster emotional well-being and healthy habits. Nolan DiMaria offered thoughtful, accessible tips for managing anxiety, while Shyla Woodkrum created a series of submissions focused on nutrition awareness, positive thinking, and essential life wisdom. Her guidance encouraged foster youth to believe in their potential and develop routines of self-care. Estella Lavrik followed a similar path, sharing empowering videos that simplified everyday skills like getting a driving permit, transforming research into real-world guidance.
Meanwhile, creativity became a powerful teaching tool for students like Annie B., who crafted “The Social Toolkit” and media tips to help others tell their stories with impact. Gabriela Quintero and her team at FAU built the “Lit” Life Skills collection, a dynamic mix of infographics, videos, and articles covering everything from SAT prep to music exploration, all rooted in the belief that youth deserve access to inspiration and education. Rounding out the financial literacy front, Alyssa Serrano-Feldleit tackled credit card education with practical, empowering advice on making smart financial choices.
Every video, article, and infographic in the Life Skills Portal has been created with care by students who understand that the knowledge they may take for granted can be life-changing for someone else. These projects don’t just inform, they uplift, reassure, and remind foster youth that there is a community rooting for their success.
As Annie B. put it, “Your skills can contribute to the positive impact SUFK is having in Palm Beach County.” Whether it's teaching someone how to budget, breathe through anxiety, take the bus, or think more positively, these students have shown that meaningful change often begins with a single idea, and a heart willing to share it.
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