Space exploration
Reach for the stars
STEM career exposure and mentorship aimed at technology and space exploration — with an ambitious long-term goal of sending a foster youth or former foster youth to space.
The Foundation Program is AFF’s STEM pipeline for young people who have experienced foster care or other disadvantage. Two training paths sit under it. AI & Coding and SOLIDWORKS & CAD are each a full 12 weeks. A student takes one path at a time. Paid microgreens farming in Dallas and college-to-career support sit beside those paths.
Four frontiers
Code. Design. Grow. Launch.
AI & coding
AI & Coding
A 12-week path in JavaScript. A page is on screen in week 1, the public website ships in week 8, and the same job is a phone app by Demo Day. Why this path, and the 12 weeks →
3D CAD
SOLIDWORKS & CAD
A 12-week path. Students learn CAD basics, model one object, and leave with a prototype or a visualization. AFF’s goal is to sit participants for the SOLIDWORKS Design Associate exam. Why this path, and the 12 weeks →
Foundation Farms · Dallas
Grow to Earn
Paid vocational training in Education and Human Services: teach foster youth to farm, hire them as paid associates, and sell to DFW restaurants. 100% of proceeds return to the nonprofit. See Grow to Earn →
Why “Foundation”?
Build for the long term
Named for Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series — preserving knowledge, building for generations, and shaping the future through science and leadership. We invest in young people today so they can guide tomorrow.
- Inspired by Asimov — institutions and skills that outlast any single generation.
- A foster youth in space — a defining goal that motivates rigorous STEM preparation.
- Advancing technology — AI and emerging fields so participants help shape what comes next.
- SOLIDWORKS & CAD — a separate 12-week path. AFF’s goal is to sit participants for the SOLIDWORKS Design Associate exam. They learn the basics, model one object, and leave with a prototype or a picture of it.
- Paid farming in Dallas — modular microgreens, restaurant sales, and 100% of proceeds back into youth wages.
- Leadership for the overlooked — equipping youth who have faced foster care to lead.
Who it’s for
Ages 14–24 · STEM curious · No experience required
Current and former foster youth and other disadvantaged young people interested in STEM — especially AI, 3D CAD, and space exploration. Curiosity and commitment matter most.