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Some 100 teenagers who are about to or who have recently transitioned from foster care are convening on the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ at Johnstown campus starting Aug. 6 for the 10th annual 2018 Older Youth Retreat, an event that welcomes foster teens from across Pennsylvania for activities and workshops in a college campus setting. From rural areas in Butler County or the urban core of Philadelphia, these teens convene to begin charting a course for their future alongside others who have experienced substitute care.

“They work on goal setting, planning, advocacy, leadership and building relationships, all while experiencing college life with its structure and support,” said Helen Cahalane, principal investigator of 51��Ʒ��Ƶ’s  within the School of Social Work. The school, along with the state Department of Human Services’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, hosts the event with support from several partners across the state. In its 10 years, the retreat has supported more than 1,000 young people ages 16 to 21.

“We’re helping youth create positive change in the child welfare system,” said Cahalane.