Future Focused Academy

✨ Happy Juneteenth ✨
As we celebrate this day, we uplift the strength, creativity, and brilliance of Black communities — past, present, and future. We honor the leaders, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and everyday heroes who continue to shape our culture and our world. ✊🏾✨

At Future Focused Academy, we remain committed to building pathways, expanding opportunity, and creating spaces where young people can thrive, dream boldly, and step into their power.

Today and every day, we celebrate freedom, community, and the future we’re building together. 🖤

Week 3️⃣ of our Community Cohort brought some BIG real‑life learning moments — the kind that build confidence, clarity, and independence. 💡✨

Our participants kicked off the week by diving into household budgeting 💵🏠. They created their own budgets, explored real expenses, and calculated exactly how much income they’d need to successfully move out on their own. A powerful reality check — and an empowering one.

Our second class focused on financial traps & scams 🚫💳. Participants learned how to spot red flags, protect their personal information, and avoid the predatory situations that often target young adults. Knowledge = protection.

For our field trip, we visited Erie Insurance 🏢💙 — and it was incredible!
Our tour guide, Gwen, led us through the stunning Thomas B. Hagen Building, sharing history, stories, and behind‑the‑scenes insights. Then we met with Alicia from Talent Acquisition, who gave participants a look into careers at Erie Insurance, pathways into the company, and what it takes to thrive there.

Week three was all about building financial confidence, strengthening awareness, and expanding career horizons — and our participants showed up ready to grow every step of the way. 🌱🔥

🌟 We’re Growing — And You’re Invited to Lead With Us! 🌟
Future Focused Academy is now accepting applications for our Board Committees! If you’re passionate about youth empowerment, community collaboration, and building a stronger Erie, this is your moment to step in and make an impact.

✨ Committee Opportunities:

Community Partnerships Committee
🗓 Meets 2nd Tuesday of each month
⏰ 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Fundraising & Marketing Committee
🗓 Meets 3rd Thursday of each month
⏰ 3:30–4:30 p.m.

💻 Most meetings are held virtually, making it easy for committed community members to participate and contribute.

If you’re ready to help shape the future of our programs, strengthen community connections, or elevate our storytelling and fundraising efforts, we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply today: https://tinyurl.com/yzeycnft
Your leadership can help open doors for the next generation. 💛

Week ✌️ of our Community Cohort was packed with energy, opportunity, and hands‑on learning — the kind that sparks confidence and shows our young adults just how many doors are open to them. 🌟

We kicked things off with a field trip to the UPMC Health Plan Neighborhood Center 🏥 where participants rotated through a Round Robin of amazing community partners: Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA🥫, Hamot Health Foundation💙, UPMC Pathway to Work 🚀, Golden Home Healthcare 🏡, and the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Erie 🏗️.
So many resources. So much support. So many people cheering them on.

Next up: Agresti Real Estate 🏠
Our participants heard from Dana Dickerson Realtor about building a career in real estate, investing, and the foundations of homeownership.
Then Ash Jones from ERIEBANK 💵 broke down the homebuying process, grants, and programs designed to help young adults purchase their first home.
French Creek Settlement Services wrapped it up with an inside look at closings and title work — the behind‑the‑scenes steps that make homeownership real.

Back in class, we welcomed Bupe from PA CareerLink 💼 who shared how participants can explore their interests through paid on‑the‑job training — gaining experience and a paycheck while figuring out what they love.

And our weekly lesson? Becoming bankable 💳 — understanding taxes, why we pay them, how they work, and the forms they’ll see as working adults. Real‑life knowledge that builds real‑life confidence.

Week two was full of growth, exposure, and empowerment — and we’re only getting started. ✨

✨ Community, we could use a little help! ✨

As our program continues to grow, we’re doing more interviews, student spotlights, and behind‑the‑scenes moments — and we want to capture those stories with clarity and heart. To do that, we’re hoping to add a mini mic set to our toolkit.

If anyone in our community has a set they’re no longer using, we would be so grateful for a donation. And if you’d be willing to purchase a set for us, it would make an immediate impact on the quality of the content we create to uplift our students and partners.

Your support — in any form — helps us keep telling the stories that matter. Thank you for always showing up for us. 💛

Week one of our Community Cohort was an absolute ✨VIBE✨ — full of growth, curiosity, and so many proud moments.

Our participants kicked things off by building their Road Map to Success 🗺️✨, mapping out their goals and career interests with intention and confidence.

Then we hit the road for a field trip to ERIEBANK 🏦💡 where they learned all about credit — how to build it, how to protect it, and the major dos and don’ts. Their questions were SO good that ERIEBANK surprised everyone with a sweet treat at Denny's Ice Cream Stand🍦😄.

To wrap up the week, we dove into professional communication 📞💬 — phone etiquette, email etiquette, how to properly address an envelope ✉️, plus networking tips and tricks. Then they wrote and practiced their very own elevator speech 🎤🔥 and absolutely crushed it.

This cohort is made possible through a grant from the ECGRA - Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority — thank you for investing in Erie’s future leaders 🙌💙.

Week two is coming… and it’s going to be GOOD. Stay tuned 👀✨

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🔥 ONE spot left for our Summer 2026 Community Cohort! 🔥

If you’ve been thinking about joining us… this is your sign.
Eight weeks of career connections, money skills, real‑world experiences, and the chance to earn up to $500 — all while building your future with a supportive crew.

Ages 18–23 and ready to level up?
Grab the LAST seat before it’s gone! 🚀

👉 Apply now: https://tinyurl.com/39edc8cn
Transportation provided. Good vibes guaranteed.

Let’s make this your summer of growth, confidence, and opportunity. 🌱✨

Future Focused Academy Future Focused Academy is a community driven organization offering programming aimed at guiding young adults on the path to success. About Us At Future Focused Academy, we believe every young adult deserves the tools and knowledge to build a successful future. Our nonprofit is dedicated to empowerin...

✨️Alumni Spotlight✨️

Meet Messiah!

Messiah was in our inaugural cohort back in 2024. He successfully completed the program with PERFECT ATTENDANCE and an excitement to apply the skills he's learned.

Here's a brief recap of what he's accomplished since then:
✅️Used his stipend money to start his LLC
✅️Has a personal AND business bank account
✅️Has amassed 174k+ subscribers on YouTube
✅️Has secured a full-time job
✅️Just recently moved into his very own apartment

And he's only 19! 😱

Messiah is a smart and talented young man who's passion, drive, and ambition never cease to amaze any one that's ever met him.

This photo was taken after a catch-up and brainstorming session with our Executive Director as he is always so happy to stay involved with the program.

Please join us in congratulating Messiah on all of his accomplishments!🎉 We couldn't be more proud of you! 💛