Are you committed to creating a more equitable future for underserved youth? We are too. Our team partners with schools, colleges, and organizations to empower young people and help them thrive.
Empowering underserved youth to succeed - together!
Our Mission
Foster Youth Empowered (or FYE) is a consulting firm that works to increase educational resilience and equitable outcomes for underserved youth and young adults who have been in the foster care system.
We believe that all students deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. We are committed to working with our clients to create positive, supportive environments where all students can thrive.
Why FYE Was Founded
All too often, public discourse, research journals, films, and various forms of media paint a monolithic, bleak, and hopeless portrait of youth and young adults impacted by foster care systems. FYE seeks to disrupt deficit narratives by empowering young people to envision a brighter future beyond their current circumstances.
Our Vision
We envision a world where all students are empowered to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. We believe that students with lived experience in foster and kinship care have the ability to succeed, and we are committed to providing them with the resources and support they need to do so.
We believe that students impacted by foster and kinship care have the potential to be leaders, innovators, and change-makers. We are committed to helping them develop their skills and talents, and to providing them with the opportunities they need to succeed.
Our Partners
Consulting Services Focused on Youth Education
At FYE, we offer a range of services and technical assistance to help clients enhance educational resiliency among young people aging out of foster care. These include workshops, keynote talks, curriculum development, and more.
Three main tenets inform and underscore the services at Foster Youth Empowered:
- Centering personal lived experience
- Emphasizing strength-based perspectives
- Leveraging evidence-based strategies and solutions
Our Services
Keynote Speaker
Our keynote services provide a unique opportunity for schools, districts, and organizations to learn from and be inspired by the experiences speakers with lived experience in the foster care system. Read More
Curriculum Development
Our curriculum development services help schools, districts, and organizations develop and implement curriculum that is aligned with their goals and objectives. Read More
Workshop
Youth-Focused Workshops
Our youth-focused workshops are designed to help foster care alumni develop the skills and talents they need to succeed in school and beyond. Read More
Staff Training
Our staff training services are designed to help your staff understand the unique challenges faced by foster care alumni and how to create a more supportive and inclusive environment for them. Read More
Program Evaluation
Program Evaluation & Research
Our program evaluation services help schools, districts, and organizations collect data and analyze it to assess the effectiveness of their programs. Read More
Your Trusted Consulting Firm for Youth Education
Dr. Mauriell Amechi
Dr. Mauriell Amechi is an accomplished social scientist, professor, and consultant, known for his unwavering commitment to social justice and educational equity.
With previous experience as a faculty member at Old Dominion University and the University of Redlands, Dr. Amechi has produced policy-relevant research and taught classes in higher education administration/student affairs.
His research agenda focuses on identifying protective factors and policies that ensure more equitable educational experiences and workforce outcomes for marginalized students, with a particular emphasis on adolescents aging out of foster care.
Dr. Amechi's work has been spotlighted by prominent news outlets, including but not limited to Imprint News, Civil Eats, the 74, Inside Higher Education, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Blayne Stone, Jr., M.A, M.S.
Blayne D. Stone, Jr. is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Blayne’s research focuses on advocating for equity in higher education for Black college students formerly in foster care.
Before starting his Doctoral Studies., Blayne worked in several student affairs positions, including residential life, multicultural affairs, and a pre-college summer program. He has held positions at various support placements (i.e., Department of Children and Families, group homes, mental health facilities, and hospitals) nationwide for youth and adolescents in need. Additionally, he worked on the Career Readiness portfolio team as a summer intern for the Education Strategy Group (ESG) in 2023, focusing on projects related to social capital development and middle school career exploration.
He holds an M.A. in Human Development Psychology from Cornell University. In addition, he earned an M.Ed. in Higher Education and a B.A. in Liberal Arts, both from Florida International University. In his free time, he likes to travel, watch movies, cook, and indulge in artistic pursuits (including music, painting, and drawing).
Dr. Mauriel Amechi
Dr. Mauriell Amechi is a rising social scientist, professor, and consultant, known for his unwavering commitment to social justice and educational equity.
With previous experience as a faculty member at Old Dominion University and the University of Redlands, Dr. Amechi has produced policy-relevant research and taught classes in higher education administration/student affairs.
His research agenda focuses on identifying protective factors and policies that ensure more equitable educational experiences and workforce outcomes for marginalized students, with a particular emphasis on adolescents aging out of foster care.
Dr. Amechi's work has been spotlighted by prominent news outlets, including but not limited to Imprint News, Civil Eats, the 74, Inside Higher Education, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Learn more.
Blayne Stone
Blayne D. Stone, Jr. is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Blayne’s research focuses on advocating for equity in higher education for Black college students formerly in foster care.
Before starting his Ph.D., Blayne worked in several student affairs positions, including residential life, multicultural affairs, and a pre-college summer program. He has held positions at various support placements (i.e., Department of Children and Families, group homes, mental health facilities, and hospitals) nationwide for youth and adolescents in need. Additionally, he worked on the Career Readiness portfolio team as a summer intern for the Education Strategy Group (ESG) in 2023, focusing on projects related to social capital development and middle school career exploration.
He holds an M.A. in Human Development Psychology from Cornell University. In addition, he earned an M.Ed. in Higher Education and a B.A. in Liberal Arts, both from Florida International University. In his free time, he likes to travel, watch movies, cook, and indulge in artistic pursuits (including music, painting, and drawing).
Media Mentions
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2023 "The Hidden Homeless: Exploring the Impact of Housing Inequality on Young Adults"
2023 What Can We Learn from Rhode Island’s New Data about Students Experiencing Foster Care?
2022 The Chronicle of Higher Education: Race on Campus Newsletter
2022 “Three Ways Colleges and Universities Can Help Address Unpaid Internships"
2022 “Report: Paid Internships Benefit Community College Students”
2022 “A New Approach to Keep Former Foster Youth from Facing Food Insecurity”
2021 “Over 1 million HS Grads Skipped College in 2020. Only a Tiny Fraction Re-Enrolled in 2021”
2020 ‘The Forgotten Students’: Report Calls on Congress to Help Hard-hit Foster Youth on Campus'
Upcoming and Past Talks
What You Should Know About Promoting Educational Resilience Among College Students With Foster Care Experience
Summit on Children 2023
Columbus, OH
March 2023
No Single Path to Success: Overcoming Adversity
University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
May 2021
Our Stories (Un)Told: Amplifying the Voices of Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education
California State University - Monterey Bay
California
May 2019
Building Safe and Inclusive Campus and Community Environments for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students
Culturally Responsive Campus Communities
Illinois State University
March 2023
Testimonials
It was a sincere pleasure working with Dr. Amechi as a contributor to Third Way’s ACADEMIX Upshot policy brief series in June 2020. Dr. Amechi’s report on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on postsecondary students aging out of the foster care system offers tremendous insight for state and federal legislators, and his research and advocacy on behalf of this critical yet often overlooked student population have far-reaching implications for meaningful policy reform.
Michelle Domino
Deputy Director of Education
Third Way
I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Amechi who was the keynote of the California State University Monterey Bay Guardian Scholars. His research and passion advocating for foster youth in higher education left an imprint on the Guardian Scholars Program and the greater CSUMB community.
Keyiona Ritchy
Guardian Scholars Program Advisor, Cal State University, Monterey Bay
Browse Through Our Informative Resources
Archives
The Hidden Homeless: Exploring the Impact of Housing Inequality on Young Adults
Ensuring Aid Access for Foster Care Youth
States Must Unravel the Disconnect on Transition-Age Services
What Can We Learn from Rhode Island’s New Data about Students Experiencing Foster Care?
Contact FYE For Speaking, Media & Press, and Consulting
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Contact FYE For Speaking, Media, Press, and Consulting
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