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Zen the Chameleon

An avatar to help foster youth express themselves and feel seen while remaining anonymous

Stories have the power to inspire, educate, and bring people together. For foster youth, telling their stories can be both healing and empowering. However, many of these young people face significant barriers to sharing their experiences, including privacy rules, fear of stigma, retaliation, or loss of anonymity. To help overcome these challenges, we're proud to introduce Zen, an avatar dedicated to telling the stories of foster youth in an innovative and empowering way.

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In partnership with:

Meet Zen

Zen is a chameleon, chosen for its ability to adapt and change to its surroundings. Like a chameleon, Zen represents the unique experiences and perspectives of each foster youth who uses it to tell their story. Zen has a friendly, approachable appearance and is designed to be a non-judgmental and safe space for foster youth to share their stories in their own words.

Words of Wisdom from Foster Alumni
To Youth in Care

You're doing great...

Never question your worth...

Beautiful and strong...

It's okay to be you...

Don't give up...

You' are enough...

You deserve love...

You are loved! 

You are beautiful...

You matter to somebody...

You have a purpose...

Not your fault...

Never question your worth...

Times will be hard...

Inside your heart...

Benefits of Using an Avatar

Using an avatar like Zen offers several key benefits for foster youth and alumni. First, it allows them to remain anonymous and protect their identity while still telling their story. This can be especially important for foster youth who are concerned about retaliation or stigma associated with being in care. Additionally, Zen provides a safe and non-judgmental space for foster youth to share their experiences, which can be a powerful tool for healing and empowerment.

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At a time when foster youth are facing significant challenges and systemic barriers, it's more important than ever to provide them with the tools and resources they need to share their stories and be heard. By creating an avatar like Zen, we hope to provide foster youth with a safe and accessible platform to tell their stories and inspire others to advocate for change. We're excited to see the impact that Zen and the AR app will have on the foster youth community and look forward to seeing the stories they choose to share.

Using Augmented Reality to Tell Stories

Zen will soon be featured in a new augmented reality (AR) app that can be accessed via a URL. The app is designed to be user-friendly and accessible for foster youth, regardless of how tech savvy they might be. With the app, foster youth and alumni can choose to record their stories in a variety of ways, using voice, text, and video. The AR experience will bring Zen to life and provide a fun, interactive, and engaging way for foster youth to share their stories with others and remain anonymous.

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