At Bravo Programs of America, we envision a world where youths who have experienced foster care have the same career opportunities and income potential as their non-foster care peers. Unfortunately, this world doesn't exist today.
Imagine being taken from your home and sent to live in foster care. Even if it is in your best interest, being removed from your home and family is life-altering. National statistics show the long-term impact that foster care has on children. Foster youths are 11 times more likely to experience homelessness and six times more likely to spend time in prison. And only 3% graduate from college. Losing your family should not equate to losing out on a productive future. Yet, this seems to be the case with foster youths.
We believe that providing foster youths a path to higher education, be it college or trade school, will give them the means to achieve financial stability and personal independence and avoid the circumstances that lead people to homelessness and prison.
As a 501c3 charity, we award scholarships to deserving foster youths, ages 18 through 26, who have been accepted into an accredited college or trade school.
- 42 (47%) of Bravo Programs of America scholarship students have graduated as of the end of 2023. 36 students are currently pursuing their education.
- 167 ($301k) in scholarships have been awarded through the end of 2023. 53% of these have gone to youth in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
- 97% of funds raised go directly to student education. 88% of funds have gone to students who have graduated or are on track to do so.