For Parents
Our students’ parents usually want to know that, in addition to having a breakthrough learning and social experience, their student will be safe and healthy at Futures Forge.
We take different approaches to our two flagship courses:
Skills for Success, a 2-week residential summer course for ages 15-19: Futures Forge recognizes that younger students may be living away from home for the first time, and need greater structure, guidance, and protection from our team.
Foundational Leadership Course, a semester- or year-long course for ages 18-23: students grow in large part by taking responsibility to live and learn as adults. Futures Forge’s team provides guidance, coaching, and feedback on safe and healthy living.
For our year-long international leadership program, we recognize that our participants are capable young adults, ready to step into their independence and take on new challenges. We empower them to do just that, all while making sure they are receiving guidance and feedback to make intelligent choices.
At the FLC, we encourage students to embrace the bumps and consequences that come with making adult decisions, with enough support to limit the risks.
For our two-week summer course, where students are typically in their mid-teens, we create a structured yet flexible environment that balances independence with guidance. We encourage them to push their limits, explore new interests, and build confidence—all within a safe, supportive space that feels more like a second home.
At Skills for Success, students have curfews, roll calls, and check-outs (for exploring the city). Staff are all trained to keep teenagers safe, and medical staff are always available nearby.
“We're so grateful that Erik and Nat invited Vladimir to Futures Forge. He's truly transformed. He gained valuable communication skills and a new understanding of teamwork and education. I’ve noticed a newfound confidence and calmness in him, and I really appreciate your supportive approach.
Thank you for helping young people unlock their potential and view education in a new light.”
-Natalia (Futures Forge Skills for Success Parent)
A Day in the Life at Futures Forge: What Parents Can Expect
Daily Experience: Each day at Futures Forge is packed with intense, hands-on learning, feedback, and coaching. Our students attack challenges that build leadership skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities—while developing inner motivation and confidence.
Fundamentally, Futures Forge gives students—in each course—greater responsibility and a more aggressive scope of work than they get elsewhere. Many students are surprised at what they are able to handle, because adults hadn’t trusted them with the responsibility before.
In this intense environment, students bond deeply. Students have given consistent feedback that they form tight friendships quickly by giving and receiving clear feedback, solving tough problems, and living in dorms together.
Join Us for Capstone Presentations: At the end of our Summer courses, we host an exciting Capstone Presentation Day, where our students showcase everything they’ve learned and created during their time with us. This is a special event where parents see firsthand the growth, confidence, and skills that students have developed.
We invite parents to attend this celebration and cheer on their students. We record and send out these presentations, so parents who cannot attend are able to see and hear their student’s story. We encourage all families to view these videos together, and discuss how the student will take these lessons and skills forward in high school and college.
What Parents are Saying
“Futures Forge became an excellent forum for discovery, realization and practice for collaboration, leadership, adaptability, failure and recovery. When Connor came back, he was seriously fired up about the experience and the engagement with others. His experiences are translatable and applicable in educational pursuits, in the workforce, on organized teams and in everyday life. He now observes with a new perception that will benefit him in the present and future.”
-Chris (Parent of student at S4S 2024)
“My two boys have unique development areas, and had unique experiences at Skills for Success which helped them grow in their own paths. Both boys had a great time, and developed tools which I think will help them take ownership of their own development and assume greater leadership in their pursuits.”
- John (Parent of students at S4S 2024)
Health and Safety
We understand that as a parent, ensuring your child's well-being while they are away from home is crucial. Below are some of the procedures and systems we’ve put in place to make sure each student comes home safe and healthy.
Health and Support Training: Our facilitators are trained in both first aid and mental health first aid. This dual training ensures that they are equipped to handle a wide range of situations, from minor injuries to emotional or psychological support, with competence and care. Facilitators are on-site and available 24/7. Our residences (usually universities) partner with us to provide 24/7 physical and mental/emotional health escalation paths.
Policies for a Safe Environment: We maintain strict policies regarding the use of drugs, alcohol, and behavior, to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. We have zero tolerance for substance use, disruptive behavior, violence, or any other behavior that endangers student safety or interrupts the ability of our students to learn and grow.
Proactive Wellbeing Support: Our facilitators, as part of their daily coaching and feedback, check in 1:1 with students regarding their psychological and emotional state. This allows us to provide coaching and guidance, as well as to identify if there are issues that we need to get help with. By default, we see signs of early stress, fear, frustration, and conflict as coaching opportunities: as long as the student is safe, challenging experiences are catalysts for growth, and we do not want to deny students these growth opportunities.
Partnerships: Our partner organizations, such as the NSHSS, help us remain up to date with, and in compliance with, nationally-recognized standards.
Foundational Leadership Course Health & Safety Plans
Whenever students travel abroad, health and safety risks increase. We follow industry best practices to include access to (and orientation in) preventative and responsive health and safety systems. As part of tuition, the following plans are included:
Medical insurance that covers ambulance trips, emergency care, and urgent care visits in every country we visit with no deductible and no out-of-network clinics, hospitals, or doctors.
Safeture, an app that ensures students are not near dangerous or likely-dangerous areas and turns students away from risky areas. Facilitators use Safeture to know whether students are at risk at all times.
Mindhamok, a 24/7/365 mental health service for both regular mental health treatment and crisis treatment.
How Students Describe Futures Forge
Meet Some of our Facilitators
Ask Questions about Health & Safety
Share your email and your question in the form, and Futures Forge will reach out to you with answers and an invitation to have a discussion about how we handle logistics, health, and safety.
