YCP and Orangewood: Foster Care Education That Works

Foster youth face unique challenges that can make academic success feel out of reach, and the statistics paint a sobering picture.

In California, teens in foster care are nearly twice as likely to be chronically absent from school. They are more than four times as likely to be suspended, and only 58% graduate high school, compared to 83% of their peers. Just 13% are deemed “college ready,” while over 40% of traditional students reach that benchmark.

These numbers aren’t about capability. They’re about access, opportunity, and the lasting effects of trauma.

Many young people in care live in a state of constant survival mode. When a child’s brain is wired to stay alert to danger, learning becomes an uphill climb. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains in The Body Keeps the Score, trauma reshapes how the brain processes the world, often making it difficult to focus, retain information, or stay engaged in class. He also emphasizes something we see reflected in our work every day: “The sense of community and people being there for each other is a critical part of surviving and thriving.”

That’s why our approach goes beyond academics. It focuses on connection, stability, and building a circle of support around every young person. Watch Dr. van der Kolk share more about this idea in this short video.

At Orangewood Foundation, we’ve worked with foster youth for over four decades. We’ve seen their resilience, their potential, and their hunger for a different future. But we also understand that support needs to show up early, consistently, and in all areas of life, especially school.

That’s why we helped create Youth Connected Program and its partner school, Samueli Academy.

Building a Better Model by Listening First

In the early 2000s, Orangewood Foundation Board Members Susan Samueli and Sandi Jackson saw a pressing need. Too many teens in foster care were falling through the cracks when it came to education. They dreamed of a school where foster youth could receive the targeted support they needed and reimagine how we serve this vulnerable population.

Initially, that dream was a standalone school just for foster youth. But through listening sessions and focus groups, one theme came up again and again. Foster youth didn’t want to be separated from their peers. They wanted to be part of a traditional student population, to be seen as students first, not just foster kids.

So, the model evolved. Samueli and Jackson, along with a group of committed partners, created something innovative. The vision was a school designed to meet the highest standards of educational care using trauma-informed practices, project-based learning, and a whole student approach, but open to all youth.

In 2013, Samueli Academy welcomed its first class of 120 ninth graders. Over time, it expanded to serve students from 7th through 12th grade. The school now enrolls more than 800 students annually, with an incredible 98% graduation rate.

A Village of Support

And in 2021, the dream came full circle with the opening of Youth Connected Program (YCP), a beautiful three-story dormitory on campus created to provide youth in foster care with stable housing and wraparound support through their most pivotal years.

Supporting youth in foster care takes more than good intentions. It takes a coordinated team working side by side with each young person to provide encouragement, consistency, and care.

YCP Staff

Our residential and social work teams are the heart of daily life at YCP. Dorm staff help track grades, attendance, and assignments, offering tutoring reminders, study support, and lots of encouragement. Our clinical team helps youth navigate services, ensures IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) are followed, and advocates for additional support when needed.

For juniors and seniors, we go a step further. Each student creates a personalized Mission and Vision Plan (MVP), a detailed roadmap that outlines their goals for life after high school. Whether it’s enrolling in community college, getting a job, or applying to a four-year university, the MVP ensures that every adult in their corner is aligned to help make that next step possible.

YCP Foster Parents

We believe that every young person deserves a family, not just a house. That’s why we work closely with our foster parents to make sure they’re not only providing a stable home, but also emotional warmth, encouragement, and a deep commitment to education. Our foster parents call to check in on school presentations, attend conferences, and sit beside their teens during homework. Many come to us specifically because they’re inspired by YCP’s educational model and want to be part of something transformative.

Samueli Academy Staff

The team at Samueli Academy is deeply committed to every student’s success. From credentialed teachers and counselors to the Student Success Coordinator and Psychologist, each staff member plays a vital role. They know our students by name and offer targeted support throughout the school day. The school also integrates restorative justice practices to help resolve conflict and reduce suspensions, keeping youth in the classroom and engaged in learning. With its hands-on, project-based learning model, Samueli equips students with real-world skills that will serve them for life.

YCP Youth

At the center of this village is each young person. We believe in their dreams, no matter the size, and we work hard to ensure they believe in them too.

For some, the goal is getting into a university or becoming a doctor. For others, it’s gaining basic reading comprehension, earning their high school diploma, and taking that next step into community college. We celebrate every milestone. Because every dream matters, and every young person deserves the opportunity to define what success looks like for them.

We help each student identify what they want their life to look like and walk beside them as they make it a reality.

Real Outcomes, Real Progress

We’ve seen the power of this model in action. Students who once believed they weren’t smart enough are now discovering they simply needed the right supports.

Last year, YCP celebrated its first high school graduate, now a proud first-generation college student. This summer, we’ll cheer on two more graduates, one of whom is headed to an out-of-state university.

And while 30% of foster youth in California were chronically absent from school in 2024, students in YCP and Samueli Academy had a 90% attendance rate.

Orangewood Foundation: Leading the Way

At Orangewood Foundation, we’re committed to walking alongside youth in foster care from adolescence to adulthood, with education, housing, life skills, and wellness support every step of the way.

Programs like Youth Connected Program and Samueli Academy represent what’s possible when we listen to our youth, collaborate with our partners, and build systems rooted in care, dignity, and high expectations.

We’re not just changing outcomes. We’re changing lives.

If you’d like to learn more about Orangewood Foundation and the programs we offer, visit www.orangewoodfoundation.org.

To explore Youth Connected Program in more detail, head to www.youthconnectedprogram.org.

And if you’re interested in becoming a collaborative foster parent, you can get started here.