Impact Stories

Jordan’s Story

Jordan was only ten when his father died, and while he did his best to adapt to life without his father’s guidance, it wasn’t easy. “Not having my dad there forced me to be stronger, but it also made me weaker,” says Jordan. “I feel like if he were here, a lot of stuff wouldn’t have happened.”

As Jordan entered his teen years, his relationship with his mother deteriorated and he began engaging in self-destructive behaviors and entered foster care as a teenager. After more than two years of living in various group homes and at times, living with an aunt, Jordan chose to take control of his own life and build skills toward independence.

“You can’t grow up without experiencing grown up stuff,” Jordan says. First Place for Youth offered him the opportunity to gain that experience secure in the knowledge that his team at First Place was by his side.

Since joining First Place through the Foster Youth Practice Space at Art + Practice in November 2016, Jordan has been able to focus on setting and working toward his goals. While it’s only been three months since he walked through the doors of First Place’s office, Jordan has already made incredible strides toward the life he wants. He secured his first job, started his first semester at El Camino College and, with the help of his First Place Youth Advocate, re-connected with his mother after a year apart. As if that’s not enough to keep anyone busy, Jordan also has his eyes on a career in the music industry, so much of what spare time he has is spent writing and practicing in the studio.

“Having a roof over my head has really helped,” says Jordan of the role that First Place has played in his new, more stable lifestyle. “At the end of the day, I can come home and not have to worry because I have a safe place to be.”

This profile first appeared in issue #1 of the Art + Practice 2017 Newsletter. To learn more about our collaboration with A+P, visit the Foster Youth Services section of their website.

In the Media

Advancing Equitable AI in the US Social Sector

One example of an organization using AI to support evidence-based decision-making is First Place for Youth, an organization that helps foster youth make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. First Place for Youth built a recommendation engine that uses precision analytics—a technology that predicts trends and behavioral patterns by discovering cause-and-effect relationships in data—to analyze program administration and case assessment data, and learn from differences in outcomes among youth.

Read More

Blog

March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place!

March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place for Youth where we acknowledge all of our young people’s efforts in […]

Read More

Blog

Empowering Young Lives: Updates from My First Place™ Program Launch in New Jersey 

Nearly six months ago, First Place for Youth and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) launched […]

Read More
To top