Occupational Therapy-Led Development of Life Skills Coaching Course on Resources for Educational Attainment to Foster Independent Living Among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

This capstone project focused on addressing the competence of foster youth in their independent living skills, particularly, educational attainment skills. Delivered in a blended learning format, a life skills coaching course focused on educational attainment resources was proposed to address the long-term challenge of poor educational attainment among foster youth at Bamboo Sunrise, a specialized foster care agency in Henderson, NV. Participants completed brief didactic work in the form of video and PowerPoint lectures followed by the evaluation of their comprehension and skills through questionnaires and competencies. Competency evaluations simulated hands-on workshops structured weekly to promote skill mastery and application of content learned from lectures. Educating foster youth about the importance of higher education was crucial to help mitigate the risks associated with foster youth. The findings of this capstone project highlighted the importance of having available resources to foster youth. This capstone project aligned with the scope of practice of occupational therapy (OT) as education is an occupation that can provide opportunities to learn about life skills needed for independent living. Providing education and educational resources allowed foster youth to engage in the occupation of education. This project also emphasized occupational justice for this vulnerable and underserved population through the carry-over of the skills learned to their home, community, or natural environment. A blended life skills coaching format embraced the potential in helping foster youth with their educational attainment skills and needs.