For former foster youth who beat the odds and go to college, summers are a particularly pivotal time. This summer, 39 former foster youth (14 incoming freshman and 25 upperclassmen) are living on campus at San Francisco State University. Our job is to make them feel like they belong and to launch them into a fulfilling year both socially and academically.

Children who grow up in foster care face greater adversity and have fewer supports than most other children. They lack stable homes where they feel safe and for many, the goal becomes to survive, not thrive at school and in the professional world beyond. For those students who have done the hard work to go to college, the Guardian Scholars Program is the link to help them bridge the gap between the foster system and adulthood. It’s a rewarding, yet terrifying turning point, and it all starts in the summer.

Here are the ways that our program is working to support scholars this time of year:

Warm welcome: Incoming freshman are received into their new on-campus homes by current Guardian Scholars who have been in their shoes. Upperclassmen usher them in by helping with move-in essentials like bedding and toiletries.

Housing: Thanks to the visionary support of San Francisco State University that has pledged $125,000 worth of in-kind support for year-round housing for foster youth on campus, Guardian Scholars receive free housing and meal plans over the summer months as well.

Summer Bridge Program: New students attend Summer Bridge, an eight-week program with courses in math and English, life skills and community building.

Mentoring: Peer-to-peer sharing is the glue that creates real community among Guardian Scholars. Upperclassmen are paired with new scholars and share their experiences, learning and networks.

Internships: Upperclassmen have access to internships during the summer with our community partners. This summer, we have scholars working at places ranging from UCSF to Airbnb.

Our program doesn’t take a break for the summer. We need to be there as new scholars are first acclimating to our campus and college culture, and as upperclassmen work to develop their professional connections off campus.

Since 2007, Tipping Point Community has invested over $1 million in the SF State Guardian Scholars Program. With the recent extension of foster care supports in California under Assembly Bill 12, Guardian Scholars has been working with Tipping Point’s program team to update the theory of change to accommodate greater numbers of former foster youth who will successfully transition to college.