As children in orphanages grow older, they eventually have to leave their foster environments and integrate into society. C4C’s Springboard to Life program (STL) prepares teenagers and young adults in orphanages for this transition by teaching them the vocational and practical skills to make them employable. These skills become their Springboard to Life!

It is the aim of the Chance 4 Children STL initiative, to teach supplemental vocational skills to disabled and institutionalized children as a springboard to a successful adult life and problem-free integration into society.

Considering the present high failure rate amongst young adults leaving institutions, with some of them ending up in conflict with the law, STL aims to substantially improve the chances of success in professional life for the participating young people, by offering them supplemental education and vocational extracurricular courses to find their bearings and place in life.

C4C’s roving team of teachers is busy visiting rural institutions on a regular basis, teaching the participants in lively forums once or twice a week. Weekend courses are on the drawing board as well, pending sufficient funding. The resonance to the program has been excellent and encouraging. Says Ms. Kohoutova, director of the Zatec orphanage: “Our children really enjoy learning how to bake and they eagerly look forward to the next week when their teacher comes again.”

To help extend the program’s reach, with a special focus on Computer Literacy Classes, C4C is planning to launch the Mobile Computer Literacy Lab (MCLL), a roving computer classroom.

Since C4C lost their title sponsor for this amazing initiative, the success of it is currently depending on private donors. Help the kids to jump on the springboard!