Danville, Va., July 26, 2019 — Danville Community College’s (DCC) Great Expectations program will hold a mini conference for foster youth in August.
Education is a key component to overcome many of life’s challenges, yet five percent of Virginia teens between 16 and 19 years of age are not attending school and not working, which makes overcoming poverty a daily battle for them and, potentially, a lifelong one.
“Far too many of our teens have only heard what they can’t do which now auto-plays in their self-talk, so helping them dream and plot their brighter future could help them become part of a far better statistic where those who graduate with a postsecondary credential earn 66% more over their lifetime than those who don’t,” Danville Community College Great Expectations Coach Trish Sawyer said.
That’s why DCC’s Great Expectations program, a VCCS Initiative for current or former foster youth, is hosting a free mini conference called “@me – Slay Your Future” for teens aged 16 to 19 old on August 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Oliver Hall in the Temple Building on Bonner Avenue.
“We want our local teens to know they can start now on becoming who they want to be tomorrow – which they CAN do – right here in Danville.” Sawyer explained.
During the event, three engaging breakout sessions will help empower participants by providing fun, interactive, workshop-style sessions to learn more about career opportunities, academic planning, and money management. Lunch and snacks will be provided during the day along with some awesome prizes and a big giveaway at the end of the day for one lucky winner or two. Breakout sessions will be conducted by DCC employees: EOC Project Director Sharon Harris and Student Success Coach Kate Bye; and Project Life (UMFS) Independent Living Coordinator Jamesia Harrison.
All participants who attend and engage during the sessions will be eligible for a raffle drawing during each session and a big raffle drawing at the end of the day for a new laptop. Also, participants will be eligible for priority registration for a Real World Simulation Event to be held in early January.
Registration is free and open to all persons aged 16 to 19. Space is limited. The deadline to register is Friday, August 2. For more information, please call Trish Sawyer, DCC’s Great Expectations Coach, at 434-797-8586 or email trish.sawyer@danville.edu. To register, go to www.danville.edu/atme.
Danville Community College is a two-year institution of higher education under the state-wide Virginia Community College System. DCC's service area includes the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County. For more information about the college’s more than 100 programs of study, visit www.danville.edu.
