Who are we?

Rise Above the Clouds is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing research-based, trauma-informed care for foster youth in our communities. We believe that the current foster care system effectively removes the child from the problem, but not the problem from the child. That’s why our camps and coaching programs are intentionally designed to address the lasting impacts of trauma in environments that build safety, resilience, and belonging.

Through outdoor adventure, mentorship, and our 4 C's framework — Calm, Curious, Confident, Connected — we equip youth with practical tools for emotional regulation, self-trust, nervous system care and building healthy relationships.

What makes Rise Above the Clouds unique is that we are and always will be: "for foster youth, by foster youth" — ensuring lived experience shapes every program we create.

Why this matters

• Nearly 1 in 4 foster youth will experience homelessness within four years of aging out of care — and between 30% and 46% may experience homelessness by age 26 without ongoing support.

• Only about half of foster youth graduate high school on time, and far fewer enroll in or complete post-secondary education, leaving many without the tools needed for stable employment and housing.

• Up to 80% of foster youth carry serious mental health burdens, with anxiety, depression and PTSD rates far above their peers.

When youth exit the foster care system, they face disproportionately high risks that most of their peers never encounter. These statistics reveal a systemic gap — one that Rise Above the Clouds is committed to closing through trauma-informed, research-driven, and lived-experience-led support that meets youth exactly where they are and propels them forward to where they will go. Foster youth in our communities deserve more than survival. They deserve sustained support, informed policy, and environments that nurture resilience, stability, and belonging. They deserve real pathways forward — and the opportunity to rise beyond the circumstances they did not choose.

OUR MISSION

At Rise Above the Clouds we create a safe, healing environment where foster youth can explore, grow, and thrive — guided by lived experience, backed by research and rooted in trauma-informed care.

VISION

We envision a sustainable, healing community where foster youth, families, and trauma survivors gather to reconnect — with themselves, with the land, and with one another. Through research-backed programming, regenerative living, and policy advocacy, we strive to transform foster care systems and ripple trauma-informed reform into the broader mental health field.

Within this community, we will create meaningful employment and leadership pathways for former foster youth, offering career opportunities rooted in lived experience, mentorship, and long-term stability — ensuring that those most impacted by the system help shape and lead the change.