April 2022 OHIO YAB Meeting

Link to more photos.

Here's a direct link to the PPT presentation.

Great Lakes Everyday Ohio Hero - Makayla Lang

Quoting from the Ohio Children's Trust's website:

Makayla Lang spent much of her childhood in foster care, emancipating from DCFS in Cuyahoga County. Based on her lived experiences in foster care she knew she wanted to help others in the foster care system. In 2018, she applied for and received a youth coordinator position on a five-year SAMHSA funded Ohio Healthy Transitions Project. In this role she uses the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model helping multi-system involved youth nearing the age of 18 to get a better handle on life by learning the “adulting thing” as she once called it.

2022 Inspiring Action Virtual Summit - ESSA

Alexys Madero and Fayvian Ferguson of the OHIO YAB presented during the Inspiring Action Virtual Summit: Supporting Educational Stability for Youth in Foster Care on April 6, 2022.

One participant shared that, "Fayvian and Alexys delivered poignant speeches that struck the perfect balance of strategic storytelling and practical application. Thanks to both!"

This event brought together educators, agency leaders, providers and caregivers from across the state to:

• Discover tools and insights to be the best school advocate for youth in foster care
• Explore approaches that encourage resiliency and stability in school and beyond
• Gather and share strategies to ensure ESSA policies and practices are prioritized and implemented with fidelity. 

Makayla Lang named one of Ohio's Everyday Heroes

Kudos to OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Makayla Lang for being honored as one of the Ohio Children’s Trust Funds’ annual Everyday Ohio Heroes.

The Ohio Children’s Trust Fund established the Everyday Ohio Hero Awards to honor individuals who dedicate their time, efforts or lives to preventing child abuse and child neglect. The winners will be honored at an April 7th event.

Makayla Lang was chosen as the 2022 Everyday Hero for the Great Lakes Region of Ohio, which is made up of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake Counties. A former foster care youth herself, Makayla Lang now works for the Wingspan Care Group. She assists many young people directly by helping them through the Ohio Healthy Transitions Project.