Fostering New Futures

Lehigh University is partnering with The Town Project to launch a Restorative Arts and Creative Enterprise Program to empower Transition Age Youth (TAY) aging out of the foster care system.

In the United States, over 23,000 youth exit the foster care system annually, facing challenges like housing instability, limited access to education, and barriers to employment. By age 24, only about 50% of these young people secure stable employment, and fewer than 3% earn a college degree. These statistics underscore the urgent need for targeted support as TAY navigate the transition to adulthood.

In this partnership, The Town Project holds the lead in designing and facilitating the youth experience, ensuring that all direct work with participants is grounded in restorative practice and community accountability. Lehigh graduate students, serving as Impact Fellows, support the program behind the scenes — contributing to planning, coordination, and documentation that helps strengthen the overall structure of the cohort. Rather than leading the work, they are learning alongside the process, gaining exposure to restorative approaches while helping build systems that can sustain future cohorts. This layered model allows youth participants to be guided by experienced practitioners and artists, while also benefiting from additional support that keeps the program organized, responsive, and well-held.