Resources Inspiring Success and Empowering (R.I.S.E.)

Program Overview

Resources Inspiring Success and Empowering (RISE) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to bridge the disparity gap between the transitioning youth/young adult and their community through education, outreach, advocacy, awareness and mentorship. RISE was founded in April 2015 by our Founder and Director Renika Atkins. RISE serves youth and young adults with a history of CPS involvement at some point in their life. We have an array of programming that serves foster youth, foster alumni and youth/young adults with developmental disabilities. RISE also provides training and educational services to professionals in the social work, health and educational fields. Currently we have served over 400 youth/young adults through our programming and over 300 professionals.

Our current programs and initiatives include:

Mission I'M Possible (MIP) is a program designed to offer the individualized special attention for youth currently located in out of home placements whether its shelters, foster homes or residential treatment facilities Through positive adult interactions, mentoring, community based-activities and internship/co-op opportunities youth are able to increase protective factors which act in opposite to risk factors to homelessness, substance abuse, truancy, dropping out, teen pregnancy and violence prevention. MIP's role in the community is to provide supportive services alongside various state programs, agencies and nonprofit organizations. MIP is built upon six guiding domains of competencies identified as protective factors to success for foster youth when offered before aging out.
• College Preparedness
• Career Readiness
• Basic Computer and Business Systems Skills
• Transitional Life Skills
• Financial Literacy
• Community Involvement

Excel Housing Program through collaborative efforts with Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, shelter agencies and state agencies we provide housing case management for youth ages 18-24 who are transitioning out of homelessness. Through a six-month program we provide housing search navigation, funding such as rent, deposit and risk fees. We also couple service coordination to help the youth work towards an life skills, educational and employment goals that will lead to the increase of or attainment of gainful income in order to maintain self-sufficiency.

The Professional Leadership Institute is a professional development education that provides trauma informed and culturally competent training to professionals in the lives of youth and young adults who are in transition. Through the Professional Leadership Institute, we have trained over 300 professionals (healthcare workers, social workers, safety/service workers) across the state of Texas. We provide the required continuing education units to Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed Social Work in the State of Texas through online learning, in person education and partnering with nonprofit organizations to host CEU opportunities.

{HER} Code Summer STEM Experience is an initiative with a goal to engage, empower, and enrich the lives of girls (ages 9-17) with a history of CPS involvement or with special familial situations through guided discovery in STEM. In a five day program girls will participate in classroom based learning, hands on field experience, real-life examples of women in STEM and community involvement.

We incorporate elements of evidence-based interventions such as mentoring in relative and nonrelative care, utilizing a self-determined career design model and incorporating social emotional learning. RISE delivers their programming in a three-component design curriculum education, community-based learning and volunteer/co-op/ intern opportunities.

Our overall desired outcomes are to improve social skills, improve academic achievement, enhance self-determination, and increase access to tools for successful transitioning into adulthood.