Fairmont State Advances Support for Foster Youth Through Middle College and RISE Initiatives

Fairmont State University continues to demonstrate its dedication to serving West Virginia through its Middle College and RISE (Resilience, Independence, Support, Empowerment) programs. Both initiatives provide vital social support and raise awareness for one of the state’s most vulnerable populations: youth currently in foster care and those who have previously experienced it. The programs have started 2026 with strong momentum and are poised to build on that success throughout the spring semester. 

Middle College gives West Virginia students who have experienced foster care the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously. RISE is a supportive and empowering network of foster care or kinship care alumni, advocates, and allies. 

Fairmont State’s Middle College and RISE Program kicked off the year by hosting the inaugural Foster Care and Child Welfare Day at the Capitol in Charleston, WV, where more than 50 organizations came together on January 14 to celebrate and support the child welfare system. 

Foster Care and Child Welfare Day at the Capitol provided child welfare organizations with an opportunity to build stronger relationships, foster unity, and highlight the incredible power of community voices and collective impact. The event also allowed West Virginia legislators and community partners to gain insight from lived experiences, strengthen relationships across systems, and deepen their commitment to working in partnership to support children, youth, families, and alumni impacted by the child welfare system. 

While in Charleston, Middle College and RISE students were able to speak with the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justices and share their experiences within the child welfare system, particularly as they relate to the state’s justice system. 

Following Foster Care and Child Welfare Day, students attended Fairmont State Day at the Capitol on January 23, giving them another opportunity to speak with West Virginia delegates and legislators about the important work they do across the state.

Later this semester, Middle College and RISE will host on-campus initiatives to honor National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and National Foster Care Month in May.  

RISE at Fairmont State University invites community members to participate in Small Bears, Big Impact: A Community Bear Hug for Kids in Care, a community-wide collection of teddy bears to be donated and distributed in partnership with West Virginia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a statewide child advocacy organization. 

“When a child enters foster care, everything changes in an instant, from their home and belongings to the people around them. It can be scary and lonely. In the days that follow, a single teddy bear can represent so much: comfort, safety, something of their very own, and a reminder that they are loved,” said Shanna Gray, State Director of WV CASA. “WV CASA is grateful to the Fairmont State University RISE students for leading this effort and turning their lived experience into tangible encouragement for children still in care.” 

RISE aims to collect 6,000 bears—enough for each child currently in the West Virginia child welfare system. Students will work with various Fairmont State student organizations and community volunteers to handwrite letters for the children receiving the bears, and the community is encouraged to participate. 

RISE is partnering with churches, clubs, and small businesses across the community to host teddy bear collection sites. Bears should be new, have no visible wear, and be no taller than 12 inches. 

Donations can be delivered to Fairmont State University’s campus during the week of April 6. Hours vary daily. Participants should register to host a collection and coordinate teddy bear drop-off at: https://tinyurl.com/risebearcollection.

Middle College and RISE will also celebrate their first class of high school graduates on May 22 in the Falcon Center Conference Rooms. In the fall, these same students will graduate with their associate degrees. More details about the graduation ceremony will be shared at a later date. 

To learn more about Middle College and RISE at Fairmont State, visit www.fairmontstate.edu/middle-college.