Project Me Foundation Inc.
MASTER SELF • SERVE THE WORLD • LEAD THE FUTURE
MASTER SELF • SERVE THE WORLD • LEAD THE FUTURE
Helping young people build structure, support, and a stronger way forward.
Mission & Purpose
Project Me Foundation Inc. serves young people ages 13 to 24 who are trying to move through some of life’s hardest transitions.
Our mission is to help youth and young adults build stable, self-directed lives through mentorship and advocacy, with life-skills support and access to resources when they are needed most.
We meet young people where they are, but we do not leave them stuck there. The goal is growth supported by structure, guidance, and real accountability.
We work with young people navigating system involvement or instability, often while trying to grow into adulthood with limited support.
Young people preparing for adulthood after child welfare involvement, often without steady long-term support.
Youth and young adults working through re-entry, court involvement, probation, or other justice-adjacent experiences.
Young people looking for guidance, structure, and a steadier foundation as they move toward independence.
Our work focuses on prevention and re-entry support, with long-term stability as the goal. We align with evidence-informed practices supported by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Justice while grounding our model in lived experience.
That means we do not guess at what young people need. We listen first, then provide structure and clear expectations while helping them practice the skills needed to move forward.
Development
We focus on strengths and potential, then connect both to practical growth instead of defining young people by what they have been through.
Support
We recognize that behavior often has a history behind it, so we respond with structure and consistency while keeping care at the center.
Readiness
We set expectations that are clear and fair, then connect them to where each participant is in their growth.
In Oneida County, New York, hundreds of young people are involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems each year. At any given time, approximately 400–450 youth up to age 21 are in foster care, which is consistently above the New York State average.
Many young people transition into adulthood without stable housing, financial security, or long-term support systems. Youth involved in the juvenile justice system often face overlapping challenges including trauma, family instability, disrupted education, and unmet behavioral health needs.
Young people are often expected to manage adulthood before they have the tools or support to do it safely.
Housing and education issues often connect with family instability, behavioral health needs, and justice involvement instead of happening separately.
Lasting change requires steady guidance and clear expectations, plus a real path forward after system involvement.
These issues reflect service gaps identified by OCFS, OJJDP, and DOJ as critical intervention points, especially during system exit, re-entry, and early adulthood development.
Project Me Foundation Inc. exists to stand in that gap with steady, intentional support. We provide structure and accountability through guidance that helps interrupt harmful cycles and build a stronger path toward independence, leadership, and long-term stability.
Clear expectations and consistent routines, with support that helps participants build stability.
Guidance that helps young people take ownership of their choices and goals while planning their next steps.
Mentorship and skill-building, strengthened by community connection that supports long-term stability.
Project Me Foundation Inc. is built around growth and structure, with accountability as part of the work. It may not be the right fit for someone who is not ready for active participation in their own development.
We believe in meeting young people where they are, but participation takes effort and a real willingness to grow.
This is a place for young people ready to take ownership of their future.
Real change does not happen through access alone.
It happens through accountability, structure, and action.
See how UPLIFT™, BUILD™, and EVOLVE™ help young people move from stability to skill-building to independence.
Creative, athletic, media, music, and skill-building programs that open up as participants show consistency and growth.
Local organizations and community resources that help young people stay connected, supported, and accountable.