Tyeisha, one of our current Child Welfare Youth Fellows, is wrapping up her time with Nebraska Appleseed.
As part of this experience, each fellow interviews a community professional in an area of interest to them, which helps them complete a written piece from a systemic perspective that highlights an aspect of the Child Welfare system that has impacted them or interests them.
For her professional interview, Tyeisha spoke with a special education teacher at Pyrtle Elementary, gaining valuable insight into how the unique individual needs of children are met. Read about Special Education at Pyrtle Elementary.
For her piece from a systemic perspective, Tyeisha speaks to the importance of sibling relationships and how meaningful relationships can be a point of transformation and healing for system-involved youth. Read about why connection is important in the foster care system.
Finally, for her personal project, Tyeisha created an organization called Creative Spaces Inspire Youth, which transforms bedrooms into unique, safe havens for children affected in the foster care system. Read about Creative Spaces Inspire Youth – and check out before and after pictures from her first bedroom makeover!
Nebraska Appleseed’s Child Welfare Youth Fellowship Program hosts young people with lived experience in the foster care or juvenile justice system for a five-week, 30-hour, paid program to encourage and assist in their child welfare system advocacy, education, and system improvement work.
The application for our 2023 Youth Fellowship Cohort is open until Friday, March 25!
If you have any young people in mind for the fellowship program, or have questions or resources for our current fellows, please contact Schalisha at swalker@neappleseed.org.