Steven Wilson 2/3/26 Steven Wilson 2/3/26

BELONG

This year’s BELONG curriculum had a profound impact on a group of students who entered the program feeling disconnected from school and unsure of where they fit. During the first session, several shared openly that they often felt invisible in their classes, misunderstood by peers, and unsure why they were even showing up to school. For them, school felt like a place they moved through, not a place where they belonged

Over time, the BELONG space became something different: a room where they felt safe enough to name their experiences without judgment. What began as hesitant participation gradually shifted into deeper conversation. By Session Three, the girls described the workshop as “the closest thing we have to therapy at school.”

One standout moment came during our exercise on “Who I am vs. Who I show the world.” As they mapped parts of their identities they hide and the parts they wish others understood, one student shared, “I don’t talk in school because I don’t think anyone actually wants to hear from me.” Another student responded, “But we hear you here. We get you.” That simple exchange changed the tone of the room. Their walls softened, and the students began supporting each other in ways they hadn’t before.

By the end of the program, the same students who once felt disconnected arrived early, asking deeper questions, and encouraging one another to speak openly about their identity, family expectations, and cultural pressures. They began to see themselves as part of a community, one they helped build.

As the facilitator, I often tell them, “Belonging doesn’t come from fitting in. It comes from being able to show up as your full self and still be accepted. You deserve that.”

The girls have shared that the BELONG sessions helped them feel more grounded, more confident, and more connected not only to each other, but to themselves. Some now talk about school not as a place they must survive, but as a place they might shape, influence, and navigate with a stronger sense of identity.
The curriculum didn’t just teach concepts; it gave them permission to feel, to speak, and to see themselves reflected in the community.

Steven Wilson 12/21/25 Steven Wilson 12/21/25

Foxwynd Foundation Invests $15,000 to Expand Soap for Hope Workforce Empowerment Internship in Coatesville, PA

Foxwynd Foundation makes a generous donation…

Educational Equity Alliance (EEA) has received a generous $15,000 grant from the Foxwynd Foundation Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to expand its Soap For Hope Workforce Development Internship, a hands-on training program that equips underserved high school students and adults with practical job skills, confidence, and pathways toward independence.

Soap For Hope transforms a working soap-making studio into a real-world classroom where participants learn product development, marketing, customer engagement, and inventory management—skills that build employability and self-confidence. Steve Wilson, Executive Director of EEA, shared “Every new skill learned becomes a building block of confidence, and this grant from Foxwynd means more people in our community can envision—and begin—a different future.”

Pamela Villagra, Foxwynd Executive Director commented, “We are proud to support the impactful work of Soap For Hope and Educational Equity Alliance. Their commitment to empowering youth and adults with real world skills and opportunities aligns closely with our mission to foster economic independence and community resilience. Grants like this help turn potential into meaningful progress, and we are honored to be part of that journey.”

Interns participate in monthly business workshops and receive workforce-readiness support, including résumé writing, mock interviews, and professional communication coaching. Housing stipends are also given to participants who complete the internship.

In 2024, Soap For Hope launched its first internship with five women in partnership with Thistle Hill, and the impact was clear. One program partner reflected, “The Soap for Hope Entrepreneur program was transformational. Participants learned skills we could use in the real world.”