We offer Life-skills Workshops, Personal Mentoring, and Vocational Training to young people aging out of foster care.

Life-Skills Workshops

“I love the effective and personal support that Inspire Idaho provides to our foster youth and young adults. The small groups and mentoring are priceless!” — Leticia, Idaho Health and Welfare

Inspire Idaho workshops equip young people with skills to help them flourish. They also connect them with mature adults who can mentor them. Workshops meet weekly for 90 minutes for 4 consecutive weeks. 

We meet in homes, where the host provides a meal we enjoy together each evening. We keep workshops small so we can get to know each person. Youth who complete a workshop receive practical resources to help them practice their new skills (e.g., cooking utensils, new work clothes, tools, cash to match savings, etc.). Workshop topics include:

• Making Food I Enjoy: Foundational culinary skills 
• Getting the Career I Want: Vocational options, resumé building, interviewing
• Keeping my Car Running Smoothly: Basic auto maintenance and repair
• Making My Money Go Further: Budgeting, avoiding debt, saving-to-spend
• Creating Art and Making Music: Experimenting with Music and Art
• Savings Lives: Certified CPR and first aid training

Personal Mentoring

“I’m incredibly humbled to help young people find hope for their future, a path to personal fulfillment and, ultimately, a sense of value.” — India, Inspire Idaho Mentor

Mentoring young people is our passion. We believe our collective, deeply relational approach offers teens their best chance to reshape the trajectory of the lives. That’s because our dynamic community of coaches and teens produces relationships that stimulate life transformation. Specifically,

• Adult coaches mentor teens together, while building a life-on-life relationship with one teen.
• Teens build friendships with one another that cultivate a shared commitment to growth. 

All of our coaches are empathetic, well trained, trauma informed adults committed to helping teens grow personally, socially, and spiritually, by

• Learning who each young person is and wants to be
• Celebrating his or her dreams and aspirations; and
• Guiding them in setting and pursuing goals that will help them experience the life they desire

Mentor and mentee sign a coaching agreement to set expectations. We coach in six month increments but these relationships can last a lifetime!

Vocational Training

“Everyone you introduce me to is amazing!” — “Parker,” Inspire Idaho youth

Inspire Idaho vocational training helps young adults develop the character, confidence, and skills they need to support themselves and care for others. Workshops address resumé building, job-interviewing, and workplace attitudes, while personal mentoring helps young people to develop social skills. But the “secret sauce” to Inspire Idaho vocational training is local businesses we call “vocational training partners” who provide:

• Opportunities for young adults to shadow their employees
• Paid internships for qualified candidates
• Employment opportunities for qualified candidates

We work closely with our partners to ensure our young people develop core vocational competencies that will help them to succeed in the career(s) of their choice.