COVER STORY 29 FEBRUARY 2024 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition The program Based on research, Big Children’s Foundation has developed a four-pronged program called iMfit2SUCCEED that is designed to be taught as one cohesive curriculum over the course of a year. A results-based journey, it focuses on whole health and wellness, independence preparation, education, and professional development for foster teens ages 14 to 17. • iMhealthy emphasizes whole health and wellness, including nutrition, culinary skills, physical fitness, weight management, mind, body, spirit connection, confidence building, anger management, healthy relationships, personal hygiene, sex ed, disease prevention and more. • iMfree fosters emotional healing through expressive arts, encompassing dance, drama, voice, music, creative arts such as writing, design, crafts and pottery, small-group time, counseling, trauma-informed mentoring, motivational workshops, mindfulness, moral conscience, spiritual guidance and bible study. • iMequipped teaches self-sufficiency and independence through life skills training and household management, budgeting, personal tax preparation, car ownership, resume writing, professional presentations, conflict resolution and more. • iMready! provides education, trade skills and professional development needed for success through academic education, credit recovery, tutoring, handson experience working with community partners, how to be responsible, critical thinking and problem solving, leadership development, gratitude and service. Moved by what Big Children’s Foundation was doing, David Lhota, a Big Children’s Foundation Board Member and intellectual property attorney with Lhota & Associates, P.A., got involved with the Big Children’s Foundation program at SafePlace, and said he realized, “These are good kids that just need love and attention. Initially they are very guarded, but with a little love and attention, it is amazing to see them come out of their shells, engage in activities, share and laugh. It’s priceless. Having the Education Youth Center where these kids can come daily to relax, play, do homework and learn life skills (a place they can rely on) will do wonders to fast track their development in a safe environment and would be a dream come true. I have been with BCF from the beginning, and I have seen kids go from shy, untrusting and scared children to confident, successful young adolescents, taking on leadership roles and graduating.” The Education Center Big Children’s is already making an impact with their “Orbit” outreach program where they partner with churches, schools and companies to lead small groups in the shelters and group homes. And with a permanent space to meet, the results can only multiply. With this dedicated Education Center in Oakland Park, Big Children’s Foundation anticipates reaching more than 100 teens annually, and providing over 10,000 units of service. Their plans for the building include distinct spaces for a Health and Nature Garden, Artspace and Learning Lounge, Multi-Purpose Education Space and Kitchen, and support spaces that include staff offices and two ADA compliant restrooms. Health and Nature Garden The Education Center will incorporate an outdoor Health and Nature Garden, designed to provide a space for physical fitness, quiet time, prayer and meditation and immersion in a natural environment. Located behind a privacy wall, this peaceful nature garden will be a perfect place for teens to get some fresh air as they workout, stretch or have a quiet place to talk with their mentor, meditate, or pray. It will foster their ability to release their past and find their peace. Artspace and Learning Lounge An Artspace and Learning Lounge will encourage forms of creative expression such as singing, acting, playing instruments, writing poems or performing spoken word, all of which are effective outlets to express emotions. Developed with a therapeutic design that incorporates a calming color scheme, this space will also be beneficial for small group mentoring and counseling. It will be equipped with a dry erase board and a large format LED computer screen, making it an ideal area for trainings and workshops as well as a fun space for social activities, board games, movies and popcorn. All of these activities will help heal their pain and experience simple joys in the present. Multi-Purpose Education Space A contemporary workspace that blends the look of a modern kitchen with the resources of a computer lab, the Multi-Purpose Education Space will be equipped with a large moveable screen and incorporate 14 student stations, complete with a power source, internet access, a laptop, school supplies, cookware, utensils and more. This versatile space can be used for teaching self-sufficiency skills, such as cooking healthy snacks and meals, household management and budgeting, academic education, trade and professional skills development or as a place for guest speakers and professionals to conduct workshops and hands-on training. It will be a space for reshaping their futures and launching their careers. Carolina Wiebe PA, owner of Create-Dwell Architecture LLC and a Big Children’s Foundation Board Member, has been involved with the development of the Education Center since the fall of 2019, offering her architectural design services pro-bono and navigating the rezoning process for the property during COVID via ZOOM. “Thankfully the community had a voice in this process and welcomed the rezoning from residential to a community facility as a positive consideration for the community,” said Wiebe. As a BCF volunteer at Safe Place, Wiebe said she began to understand the importance of consistency in foster teens' lives. “Some hide behind a hard countenance, and their hearts slowly soften as I show up consistently every week. Building trust takes time.” That’s why she’s convinced “this location and its programming will serve as one of the very few stable constants in the lives of foster teens who are typically moved from one home to another. Foster teens will clearly identify the center and staff as an organization they can access to help them succeed in life as they age out of the foster care system and our communities will benefit as BCF stands in the gap to connect high risk youth with their productive futures.” - f e e h - f n , g - e y a t - t r , y - n d r s - - s - n r h e m y t y - . d e … s e , g c - Artspace and Learning Lounge Multi-Purpose Education Space Health and Nature Garden
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