Spirit Awakening Foundation's "Priming for Success" Program

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

Central LA East LA South LA West LA Long Beach South Bay County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Priming for Success provides emotional and economic support for young women who have aged out of the foster care system or are otherwise systems-impacted. These young women face staggering barriers to employment and education. About 67% have engaged in underground economies to meet basic needs. Many former foster youth earn less than $6,000 annually, far below the poverty line, and 25% experience homelessness within four years of aging out. Less than half are employed or actively seeking work, and most lack financial safety nets. Our program participants often face intersecting challenges related to race, gender, and justice involvement, which leads to systemic neglect. Without targeted support, the risk of continued exploitation and abuse increases. There is a critical need for programs that combine job readiness and life skills, with trauma-informed tools for healing. Priming for Success seeks to break the cycle of neglect by offering a holistic path to sustainable futures.

Priming for Success is a 12-month economic empowerment initiative designed to support systems-impacted young women—including those exiting foster care or juvenile detention, single mothers and those facing housing instability. What sets Priming for Success apart from typical job readiness programs is its deep focus on the mental and emotional health of participants. Meeting weekly at the Historic Crenshaw Fire Station, a trusted community space, the program will serve 15–20 participants by blending hard and soft skill development into a trauma-informed, wrap-around curriculum.
Sessions will cover financial literacy (banking, budgeting, investing), job readiness (résumé writing, interviews, field trips) and career awareness (entrepreneurship, trades, creative industries). Simultaneously, mindfulness, journaling, mentorship, and leadership training help participants strengthen self-worth and emotional regulation.
The program's holistic approach is based on Spirit Awakening's groundbreaking model that has positively impacted thousands of young people around LA County over the last three decades. Impact will be tracked through pre- and post-program assessments measuring concrete outcomes: opening bank accounts, securing identification documents, applying for and obtaining jobs, and enrolling in training or education programs. Just as vital are the intangible gains: increased confidence and stronger self-advocacy—tools essential for a lifetime of economic and personal stability.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will be home to a growing network of empowered young women who are financially literate, emotionally resilient, and equipped to lead independent, purpose-driven lives. These young women will no longer be trapped in cycles of poverty, trauma, or dependency; instead, they will thrive as employees, entrepreneurs, mentors, artists, and changemakers. Their success will ripple outward, positively impacting families, communities, and future generations. By interrupting generational trauma and economic marginalization, Priming for Successwill help reduce recidivism, lower reliance on public services, and increase civic engagement. As more participants step into leadership and stability, LA County will see stronger families, safer neighborhoods, and a more inclusive, equitable economy shaped by voices too long excluded. This is more than workforce development—it’s systemic transformation through healing, empowerment, and belonging.