Our Mission

Shifting Perspectives. Restoring Power. Planting Hope.

Grow Into You Foundation exists to provide coaching, mentoring, support, and resources to individuals experiencing a hardship, particularly those within and aging out of the foster care system. These services will shift perspectives, restore power and plant hope in those that need it most.

The Coach Approach

Grow Into You Foundation approaches teens in a way that allows them to keep their dignity, value and voice no matter what. There are three key ingredients to accomplishing this.

First, we make sure that teens have a choice to engage in a coaching relationship. They don’t get to choose many things about their circumstances but this is one thing they CAN have the power to choose. Coaching is always voluntary.

Second, we keep coaching about their agenda. Our coaches don’t have an agenda for teens. We don’t need them to perform or accomplish something for us. We are in their lives to guide them as they identify and implement healthy choices for themselves.

Finally, when approaching teens, we, as coaches, suspend our own judgment. This gives young adults space to be where they are and to trust us with their thoughts as they contemplate what it might look like to move from that place into a more life-giving place. When teens see that their dignity is consistently upheld and that their value and voice matters, they start to “show up” to the world differently than before.

Core Initiatives

Our organization does not focus on a “fix them” or “arrival” mentality. Instead, we focus on what we call “little wins”. When we see and celebrate teens altering the small details of their life for the better, it can majorly change their trajectory long term. Therefore, we celebrate and focus on each little win that they have: raising a grade, speaking calmly to an employer, or choosing to walk away instead of escalating.

We Shift Perspectives:

By using coaching skills, tools and strategies, we are able to help teens see their circumstances and stories through a new lens. They start to see that everything is redeemable and everything is an opportunity to learn and grow, no matter how tough or painful. We cannot change their circumstances, but we can help them change the way they view their circumstances. This can lead to more stability, improved behavior, and enhanced emotional well-being.

We Restore Power:

Coaching also helps teens regain empowerment, which leads to them being more conscious about their choices and gives them a voice. This allows them the freedom and space to “show up” to the world as their true selves instead of how they think others see them.

We Plant Hope:

Coaches build relationships with teens by speaking to the teen’s heart by using coaching skills like validation, acknowledgment, and encouragement. When this happens, teens feel inspired and the way is paved for mentoring and guidance to be given as they transform into the best version of themselves. Instilling hope resonates throughout their life beyond current circumstances and creates lasting, sustainable, positive change.