By Olivia Miller
There is a movement taking place in Lavalette, WV— a movement to end the cycle of homelessness, addiction, poverty, incarceration and hopelessness of youth who age out of the foster care system in the Mountain State.
The Youth Transition Project (YTP) is a public-private partnership intent on building a pipeline of support to ensure this vulnerable population has every opportunity to live a full, meaningful life. YTP is led by Stepping Stones, Inc., a nationally accredited, fully licensed child welfare provider, and is supported by a collaboration of diverse community partners that include Marshall University; the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Diversion and Transition Programs; Coalfield Development; the West Virginia University Extension Service Office in Wayne County; Unicare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc.; and several area high schools and career technical education teachers.
Susan Fry, the executive director of Stepping Stones, has nearly four decades of experience working with and advocating for West Virginia youth and families. After a lifetime of fighting to change the foster care system with few results, Fry met with Marilynn Wrenn, chief development officer of Coalfield Development, and Leslie Stone, owner and operator of Stones Strategies, LLC, to put a unique plan in place for building a foundation to support vulnerable youth. In order for this plan to be successful, it was imperative the community be fully involved.
“We’re bringing the community to the young adults so they know the community they will be living in and they’re already linked to it,” says Fry. “They’re already connected to mentors, and they’ve already developed that sense of belonging. We hope that’s going to be the difference between this and everything we’ve tried in the past.
The project’s centerpiece is a tiny home village located on the 166-acre property owned by Stepping Stones, Inc. in Wayne County that will provide housing, life skills, education, employment training and well-being support. Two energy- efficient and environmentally friendly tiny homes are already under construction, and the group hopes to have as many as 12 in the future.
Members of the community have stepped up in large numbers to work on the village. The first tiny home is being built by inmates at Pruntytown Correctional Center who will obtain their certificate in adult education through the process. Engineering students from Wayne High School designed the blueprints for the second tiny home, and construction students from Tolsia High School are bringing it to life.
Another aspect of the project is the 1,200-square-foot greenhouse that includes 20 hydroponic tower gardens, which will provide food security and a certification in agriculture. Sponsored by UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc., the greenhouse will also provide a space for Marshall University researchers to lead the youth in agrotherapy, a form of behavioral health care that incorporates agricultural training.
Additionally, the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Diversion and Transition Programs will be opening an adult education pathway program on-site to provide certification in agriculture, business and construction. To provide a well-rounded educational experience, the West Virginia University Extension Service Office in Wayne County will teach healthy cooking courses, Marshall University’s sustainability department will offer yoga for emotional intelligence courses to teach self-regulation and relaxation techniques to youth dealing with trauma, and Sweet Street, a local bakery, will provide baking classes.
According to Fry, the difference between the YTP and past attempts to help those who are aging out of foster care is the community’s involvement. “You can provide somebody with a home, and you can provide them with money and food, but if they don’t have a sense of belonging and if they don’t have a community, they’re still going to struggle,” she says.
