FYI Co-Founders Receive “One Hart” Award from Hart School District Board
Honor Bestowed by Governing Board Member Erin Wilson for Exemplifying District’s Core Values
SANTA CLARITA (September 22, 2025) – Fostering Youth Independence Co-Founders Carolyn Olsen and Gina Stevens received the “One Hart” award at the most recent board meeting of the William S. Hart Union School District, for exemplifying the district’s core values.
The award, presented to community members who embody one of the Hart District’s core values, was presented by Governing Board Member Erin McKeon Wilson to the pair, who founded FYI in 2017 and have since grown the organization into Santa Clarita’s largest nonprofit supporting local foster youth who have aged out of the L.A. County foster care system without being adopted or reunified with their birth parents.
Wilson said that board members have the opportunity to honor community members who personify one of the Hart District’s core values of community, caring, creativity and courage. She said, “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than you two,” as she bestowed the accolade to Olsen and Stevens.
Olsen, FYI’s executive director, thanked Erin Wilson and the board, and accepted the award on behalf of the FYI staff and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who have supported the organization. She also invited the educators to refer their foster students to FYI so they can enjoy the benefits of having an Ally and being part of a caring and supportive community as they transition into adulthood.
Fostering Youth Independence is the largest foster youth support organization in Santa Clarita, whose mission is to support and guide local foster youth aging out of the foster care system to achieve a post-secondary education, a key to helping overcome a shaky foundation. Each youth is paired with a volunteer Ally, who has the unique opportunity to directly impact their life by providing encouragement and support, a key to breaking the cycle of challenges they face.
Olsen said that FYI will hold an orientation and training session for those interested in becoming Allies on Wednesday, November 5 in the Fellowship Center at Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia from 6-8 pm. Those interested can email FYI’s Volunteer Coordinator Darlene Allen at dallen@fyifosteryouth.org.
Further information about Fostering Youth Independence and how to support this organization can be found at www.fyifosteryouth.org.
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About Fostering Youth Independence (FYI)
FYI is the largest Santa Clarita-based nonprofit supporting local foster youth who have aged out of the L.A. County foster care system without being adopted or reunified with their birth parents. FYI addresses the serious challenges faced by these youth, which include not finishing high school or pursuing higher education, homelessness, and incarceration. FYI offers local foster youth numerous resources to help overcome past traumas, complete an education, gain employment, and become successful, independent adults.
FYI currently serves 85 transition age (16-29 years) foster youth in the Santa Clarita Valley and has supported over 200 local youth since its inception in 2017. It assigns each youth a caring adult volunteer Ally and a coordinator to help them set and achieve goals in areas such as education, employment, housing, finances, health, transportation, assistance with college applications, enrollment and class registration, and referrals to resources for food, housing, health, mental health, and employment. It also provides emergency financial assistance when an unexpected expense such as a car repair threatens to derail a youth’s educational plans. FYI offers The Study Place for learning support and tutoring, a Ready, Set Drive! program to assist youth in obtaining their drivers license, personalized Money Matters financial literacy education, hosts events throughout the year where the youth can connect with other youth and Allies to create a community of support, and partners with College of the Canyons for referrals and counseling. It also provides school supplies, holiday gifts and household items for youth moving into new homes with few possessions.
Website: www.fyifosteryouth.org
Instagram: @fyifosteryouth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fyifosteryouth
Contact:
Carolyn Olsen
Co-founder and Executive Director
colsen@fyifosteryouth.org
(661) 360-1500 ext. 700