At the Table launches in September 2020

…Zink is aiming to raise a budget of roughly $250,000, primarily through grant support. Supporters so far include individual donors; the national organization iFoster, which is serving as fiscal sponsor until At The Table’s nonprofit certification comes through. Zink has recruited board members such as the founder of the co-living startup Common, and the global, tech-focused school network General Assembly.

Zink has also committed to making sure at least half of his board have personally experienced the child welfare system. 

Board member Tiana Barnwell is among them. Barnwell spent her teens in foster care with New York Foundling, receiving educational support from Zink’s team before recently graduating from her dream school, Spelman College in Atlanta. Along with Nicole Wong, a Hofstra Law School student who also spent her teens in foster care, Barnwell will be a rare voice on the board of any New York City child welfare organization, with voting power over governance issues. 

Now, she said she’s excited to help other former foster youth change their narrative too. Carrying the stigma of the foster care label in class, or struggling with it in secret, can make the journey through school difficult. 

“You might be the smartest student, but you could be lashing out in class in reaction to trauma you are going through alone. Sometimes teachers might just see that disruption and not take the time to learn what’s going on at home,” said Barnwell, 22, now an analyst at Goldman Sachs in Texas. “I’m really excited that there’s going to be an organization to help youth navigate that complexity, especially now.”

Read the full article here: https://imprintnews.org/child-welfare-2/tutoring-new-york-city-transition-foster-youth-graduation/45457.