Fostering a Culture Of Empowerment and Success (FACES)

The Westfield State University F.A.C.E.S Program is committed to supporting and empowering current and former foster youth, homeless youth, and youth who have experienced other forms of substitute care. F.A.C.E.S provides necessary resources to enrich the college experience of our students and eliminate barriers that may be preventing their academic success. The F.A.C.E.S program will provide supports to stabilize housing, food insecurity and other basic needs while connecting students to financial, academic, and social emotional supports.

Accomplishments

• Collaborate with the WSU FSSI to advocate for a space on the WSU application form for foster youth to voluntarily self-identify.
• Collaborate on the development of Common Goods, a food pantry that is open to serve students, staff and faculty who are experiencing food insecurity.
• F.A.C.E.S. is a student lead group to provide peer support, and promote connections to resources for current and former foster youth, homeless and disconnected students. 

Goals:

• Increasing youth’s self-sufficiency through improved connection to resources and peer socio-emotional support.
• Increase retention and graduation rates.
• Foster opportunities for students to advocate for themselves and others as they emerge as leaders.
• Organize activities that promote opportunities to succeed and ease the challenges that influence their outcomes.
• Development of activities that raise awareness on and off-campus about the difficulties students face when lacking support systems.
• To influence policy, improve practices, and funding to ease the lives of current and former foster youth, homeless, or disconnected students at WSU.

F.A.C.E.S. Scholarship

F.A.C.E.S. aims to empower students who have experienced foster care (and other forms of substitute care) and/or homelessness. To qualify for the F.A.C.E.S. scholarship, undergraduate students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher and have experienced substitute care, either have been or currently are homeless, and/or claim independence on their financial aid forms. The F.A.C.E.S. Scholarship Fund was created through fundraising events and private donations to alleviate some of the financial needs presented by this population during their academic journey at Westfield State University.

Each year, two $500 scholarships are awarded to eligible students at its Foster Youth Awareness and Scholarship Award Event. 

Contact Us

Marjorie Rodriguez

Program Coordinator, TRIO
Staff Assistant - TRiO Student Support Services Program
Parenzo Hall
mrodriguez@westfield.ma.edu
(413) 572-8833

Jennifer Propp

Associate Professor - Social Work
Mod Building, 102-C
jpropp@westfield.ma.edu
(413) 572-8838