REAL Fellowship Program
REAL stands for Restore, Educate, Advocate, and Lead. Real is a 12-week, trauma-informed advocacy and leadership program created by Restoreforlife Inc. to empower youth, caregivers, and community members affected by the child welfare system. This curriculum uses a backward design framework, meaning we begin with the end in mind: restoring power to families and transforming systems that often cause more harm than help.
Our mission is to equip families and community leaders with tools to restore autonomy, advocate for change, and lead systemic reform. At the heart of the program is a Town Hall Presentation, where each participant presents a real-world advocacy project aimed at reducing unnecessary involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). Through personal growth, peer collaboration, and leadership development, participants build the skills and confidence to become agents of change in their communities.
Become a part of lasting change in our community. Sign up to join the REAL Fellowship.
Program Goals
Education
Policy Change
Education
Understand how the child welfare system operates and its historical impact on families. Participants will explore the origins and evolution of the child welfare system, examining how policies and practices have disproportionately affected marginalized communities. Through case studies, timelines, and open discussion, they will uncover the systemic roots of family separation and generational trauma.
Advocacy
Policy Change
Education
Build advocacy skills, including public speaking, organizing, and petition writing. Participants will learn how to craft compelling messages that resonate with diverse audiences, from community members to policymakers.
Policy Change
Policy Change
Policy Change
Participants will identify a pressing issue within the child welfare system and design a solution-oriented proposal grounded in research, lived experience, and restorative principles. They will learn how to structure their proposal to clearly define the problem, outline a realistic and impactful solution, and include a call to action tailored to their audience.
Curriculum Overview
Week 1: Introduction to Systemic Trauma
Week 2: Restorative Practices
Week 3-4: CPS Navigation
Week 5-6: Advocacy Foundations
Week 7: Public Speaking for Advocacy
Week 8-10: Leadership Training
Week 11-12: Town Hall Presentation & Capstone
In the final weeks, participants deliver 5–10 minute presentations during a live Town Hall. These proposals outline community-driven solutions to reduce CPS involvement. Social workers, nonprofit leaders, educators, and policymakers attend and provide feedback, making space for real, tangible change.
Important Dates: The program begins July 21st. Oct 6th is the Town Hall Meeting and Oct 13th is the Ceremony Celebration.
The Urgency Behind REAL
Every year, thousands of families are impacted by systems that were meant to protect, but often do more harm than good. The REAL Curriculum was created in response to rising concerns about unnecessary child removals, inequities in foster care, and the deepening trauma experienced by youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
✔ Child Protective Services (CPS)
In 2022, nearly 600,000 children in the U.S. spent time in foster care, many of them removed for reasons tied to poverty, not abuse. Once involved in CPS, families often face confusing procedures, limited legal protections, and few opportunities to be heard. The REAL Curriculum empowers participants with tools to navigate these systems, reduce unnecessary involvement, and keep families together.
✔ Kinship & Foster Care
While 39% of foster youth in New York now live with relatives (kinship care), Onondaga County still lags behind, placing far fewer children with family compared to other regions (source: NY Office of Children and Family Services, 2023). This disparity highlights the need for community-based education and advocacy to promote safe, culturally appropriate alternatives to foster care.
✔ Juvenile Justice System
Youth who interact with CPS are at higher risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system, a pathway often referred to as the “foster care-to-prison pipeline.” The REAL program works to interrupt this cycle by teaching young people how to advocate for themselves, connect with mentors, and lead efforts to reform the systems that failed them.
Healing Through the Arts Workshops 2025
Registration is now open. Reserve your spot early to learn and earn a $350 stipend.