Division of Redeemer Forge, Inc.
Redeemer Pathways
Mentorship for children and young people.
Supervised, faith-based mentorship in Jacksonville: cooperative play for younger children, mentor-led building and digital skills for older children and teenagers, and Grow — a website where foster youth find the tools and resources they need.
Who it serves
Children and teenagers in Jacksonville and their families. Every session opens and closes with prayer; no child has to pray or profess faith to take part. Grow serves teens in foster care and young adults aging out of it, up to 21.
The need
Children here need adults who show up.
children in foster care in Duval County in 2024 — 597.9 per 100,000, against 464.9 for Florida as a whole.
of Florida 21-year-olds who had been in foster care reported a period of homelessness; 20% had not finished high school, and only 36% worked full time. Preliminary results.
American children would be in an after-school program if one were available to them: 77% of the demand goes unmet.
Our answerRedeemer Pathways is planned as a free, supervised place after school, with a mentor paying attention, and Grow puts the tools young people leaving foster care need in one place.
Today, and the road ahead
What exists, and what comes next.
In place today
- Three tracks defined: Fellowship Gaming (kindergarten–5th grade), Genesis Labs (5th–12th grade) and Grow (foster youth)
- A public website describing the program and its curriculum
- A drafted safeguarding policy, including Level 2 background screening for every adult volunteer
- 1Safeguarding policy adopted; safeguarding lead appointed
- 2First host church or venue agreed
- 3First volunteers screened and trained
- 4Insurance in place
- 5First Fellowship Gaming session
- 6Genesis Labs curriculum written; first building session
- 7Grow partnerships proposed to guardians ad litem and the foster care system
How we will know
What success looks like.
Young people come consistently
Session registers, per participant per term
Participants finish what they make
Completed projects per participant in Genesis Labs
Participants gain a practical skill
Self-assessment before and after, against each track’s stated skills
Every adult with a young person is screened
The safeguarding lead’s screening register
All of them, always
- Volunteer background checks (Level 2, fingerprints)Per volunteer$28
- Liability insurance for work with minorsYearly; required before the first sessionTo be priced
- VenuePossibly free, hosted by a partner churchTo be priced
- Gaming and building equipmentOnce, then upkeepTo be priced
- Materials and snacksPer sessionTo be priced
“Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.”
Psalm 25:4
Division of Redeemer Forge, Inc.
Redeemer Pathways
Mentorship for children and young people.
What it is
Mentorship for children and young people.
Supervised, faith-based mentorship in Jacksonville: cooperative play for younger children, mentor-led building and digital skills for older children and teenagers, and Grow — a website where foster youth find the tools and resources they need.
Who it serves
Children and teenagers in Jacksonville and their families. Every session opens and closes with prayer; no child has to pray or profess faith to take part. Grow serves teens in foster care and young adults aging out of it, up to 21.
Status
The program and its website are designed. No sessions are running: the safeguarding policy is drafted but not yet adopted, and no volunteer screening has taken place.
“Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.”
Psalm 25:4
The need
Children here need adults who show up.
children in foster care in Duval County in 2024 — 597.9 per 100,000, against 464.9 for Florida as a whole.
of Florida 21-year-olds who had been in foster care reported a period of homelessness; 20% had not finished high school, and only 36% worked full time. Preliminary results.
American children would be in an after-school program if one were available to them: 77% of the demand goes unmet.
Redeemer Pathways is planned as a free, supervised place after school, with a mentor paying attention, and Grow puts the tools young people leaving foster care need in one place.
In place today
- Three tracks defined: Fellowship Gaming (kindergarten–5th grade), Genesis Labs (5th–12th grade) and Grow (foster youth)
- A public website describing the program and its curriculum
- A drafted safeguarding policy, including Level 2 background screening for every adult volunteer
What comes next
How we will measure it
What success looks like.
Targets are set once there is a first year of results to set them against.
| Outcome | How it is measured | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Young people come consistently | Session registers, per participant per term | To be set |
| Participants finish what they make | Completed projects per participant in Genesis Labs | To be set |
| Participants gain a practical skill | Self-assessment before and after, against each track’s stated skills | To be set |
| Every adult with a young person is screened | The safeguarding lead’s screening register | All of them, always |
Year-one budget
What Redeemer Pathways costs to run.
Known costs are stated; anything not yet priced says so. Draft, for the board to adopt.
| Item | Cost | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer background checks (Level 2, fingerprints) | $28 | Per volunteer |
| Liability insurance for work with minors | To be priced | Yearly; required before the first session |
| Venue | To be priced | Possibly free, hosted by a partner church |
| Gaming and building equipment | To be priced | Once, then upkeep |
| Materials and snacks | To be priced | Per session |
2027 roadmap
What comes next, in order.
The board sets each target date at its first meeting.
- Date to be set
Safeguarding policy adopted; safeguarding lead appointed
- Date to be set
First host church or venue agreed
- Date to be set
First volunteers screened and trained
- Date to be set
Insurance in place
- Date to be set
First Fellowship Gaming session
- Date to be set
Genesis Labs curriculum written; first building session
- Date to be set
Grow partnerships proposed to guardians ad litem and the foster care system