Foster care youth received a taste of college life Wednesday during a special tour of Albany State University. The tour was held in partnership with the Embark Albany initiative. Embark Albany serves post-secondary professionals and institutions to ensure connectivity, share best practices, and provide information exchange among youth.
 
While visiting ASU, students gained insight on academic requirements for enrollment, how to apply for housing and reviewed safety guidelines from the campus police. Tour participants also met with current students and personnel to learn helpful tips on transitioning to college. The event was a collaborative effort between Albany State University, Albany Technical College, Darton State College and the Dougherty County School System. The students visited each institution during the tour.
 
“This is our first tour; we plan to do this every year,” said Karen Baynes-Dunning, federal monitor overseeing the Department of Family and Children Services for the state of Georgia, former juvenile court judge, and wife of ASU Interim President Arthur Dunning. “Participants are able to see all three campuses, figure out where they fit on any of those campuses and know that we have a team in place to support them through that process.”
 
Embark Albany joins with the University of Georgia’s Embark Georgia network. Embark Georgia, an endeavor of the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, offers academic, financial, social and emotional support to youth in higher education who have experienced foster care or homelessness.
 
Albany State University students are also making a significant campus impact through the Foster Through College student-led initiative. Foster Through College, or FTC, is a component of Embark Albany and is a comprehensive support program that provides peer encouragement and resources to students who have experienced foster care.
 
“I’m really proud to say that I get to be a part of something so significant,” said Antoinette Rucker, a student helping to lead FTC, along with Baynes-Dunning and graduate student Kevius Bass. “I truly appreciate the support that the Dunnings bring to the university as it relates to youth in foster care and the support from ATC and Darton in acknowledging that there is a need for greater resources for youth in foster care who are attending college and transitioning to college.”
 
Through FTC, participants will receive priority work-study assignments and extended housing availability. There are plans for a student pantry and campus champions, those who will receive training in helping FTC participants matriculate through college. Essential forums for students, including financial literacy and career preparedness are also proposed, among other endeavors.
 
“These are some of the best and brightest students out there,” Baynes-Dunning said. “They just need a little extra support.”