Foston Foundation
Welcome to The Foston Foundation
“In every child there is a gift.”

Our Purpose

To train caring adults to find any teen’s gift, to light a fire in them, so we never have to light a fire under them.

About The Foston Foundation​

Our Mission

The journey from childhood to adulthood, through adolescence, can be very hazardous. Our mission is to train caring adults as guides (Robins) to help teenagers find and develop their gifts, while avoiding the common pitfalls and IED’s of adolescence. To us, IED means Invisible Esteem Destroyer. IED’s are the greatest threat to normal adolescent development! In honor of the late Robin Oliver, a former Board Member, we now train our GUIDES to be called ROBINS.

Our Philosophy

The Philosophy

The Philosophy of the Foston Foundation is beautifully summarized in this poem

There is a Gift

We know that every child has a gift and usually more than one. When we help a child find their gift and create an opportunity to nurture that gift, we have helped them establish their own direct connection to God

The Story of the Pillow

A 14 year –old angry teenage patient was brought in to see me by her mother. Instead of asking her to talk to me when she was so angry , instead I asked her to write a poem for me to explain her anger, She wrote a beautiful poem she entitled “ I Want to be Left Alone”. In her poem she talked about a fury outside her door, and about trusting someone one who could not be trusted. We turned her poem into a song, we called “Alone:
It became the hit song of that musical. She agreed to let me work with her and we got her safely through to adulthood.

I ran into years later and was glad to see the she was still doing well. I asked her to what did she attribute her well being. She gave me the most beautiful answer. She said the first day I met her she felt like she was falling down a black shaft. As afraid as she was of falling, she was more afraid that no one cared that she was falling and in so much pain. She proudly told me is no longer afraid, because after we helped her find her gift she knew that she would always land on her pillow that was her song! We must help each child find their pillow.

Our Training

Meet Laura Victim

The Curriculum

Undergirded by the Philosophy of Holistic Mentoring, our training is centered on getting our prototype to adulthood safely. If we can help Laura, we can help any teen,

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

  • Biological
  • Sociological
  • Theological
  • Adolescents and Loss
  • Adolescent Depression
  • The Addiction to Hopelessness

HOLISTIC MENTORING PART ONE

  • Personality Assessment
  • Learning Style Assessment
  • Soft Skills Assessment
  • ACE Assessment
  • Gift Scan Assessment

HOLISTIC MENTORING PART TWO

  • What is Holistic Mentoring
  • Traits of an Holistic Mentor
  • Phases of Holistic Mentoring
  • Mentoring Misfits
  • How Whole Are You?
  • How Whole is your program
  • Completing the GRID ( It Takes a Village

Meet Laura the Trainer

Meet Laura Victim

The Weekend

Meet Laura the Trainer

Basic Training

Holistic Mentoring One

Holistic Mentoring Two

The Vanguard Year

The Robin

OUR TRAINING

Meet Laura

Undergirded by a philosophy of Holistic Mentoring, our training is centered on getting our prototype , Laura safely to adulthood. If we learn to help Laura, we can help any teen.

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

  • Biological
  • Sociological
  • Theological
  • Adolescents and Loss
  • Adolescent Depression
  • The Addiction to Hopelessness

HOLISTIC MENTORING ONE

  • Personality Assessment
  • Learning Style Assessment
  • Soft Skills Assessment
  • ACE Score
  • Gift Scan Assessment

HOLISTIC MENTORING TWO

  • What is Holistic Mentoring
  • Traits of a Holistic Mentor
  • Phases of holistic Mentoring
  • Mentoring Misfits
  • How whole are you?
  • How Whole is your Program?
  • Completing the GRID ( It Takes a Village)

Guide Training

Undergirded by the philosophy of Holistic Mentoring, the caring adults are provided an intense immersion into the Psychology, Sociology and Theology of adolescent development
Adolescents must develop 4 biological, 4 sociological and 4 theological identities before they can be considered an adult.
If one or more of these identities is absent or poorly formed, the adolescent becomes more susceptible to the Addiction to Hopelessness
Holistic Mentoring was developed as the treatment for the Addiction to Hopelessness which affect so many of our young people.
Holistic Mentors are trained to identify the status of all twelve of these identities, and to design a strategy to have them formed successfully, so that teen can reach adulthood safely
Holistic mentoring differs from traditional mentoring in four main ways
  • Everyone cannot be an Holistic Mentor
  • It requires training
  • It is structured
  • It is therapeutic

Basic Training Adolescent Development

Holistic Mentoring I & II

Complete portfolios on Literature, Music, Performance, and Arts & Crafts

THE FOSTON FOUNDATION BOARD

Rebera Foston,

President/CEO

Mr. Bryan Foston

VP of Fundraising

Dr. Roselyn Aker-Black

Vice-President of ACES

Mr. Clyde Kilgore

Vice-President for Gifts

Ms. Elizabeth Taylor

Board Secretary

Deanna Largin MHA

VP of Assessments

Dr. Will Foston MD

Treasurer/CFO

Mr. Art Downs

Treasurer/CFO

Mrs Robin Oliver

Vice President

The Foston Foundation Advisory Network (FFAN)

We are always looking for new volunteers. If you see an area that interests you BECOME A FFAN
Foston Foundation

Donation

Guide Training

Help us empower future mentors! Your donation supports our 16-hour immersive Guide Training program — transforming volunteers into skilled youth leaders who inspire creativity and confidence in every teen they mentor.
Donate Now

Gift Nurturing

Your support helps teens discover and develop their unique gifts. Through music, theater, and art projects, our Guides create hands-on experiences that turn potential into purpose — and dreams into action.
Donate Now

Send Us a Message

We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, ideas, or want to get involved, our team is here to help and connect with you.

Location

1510 Demonbreun Street suite 710 Nashville, Tennessee 37203

Phone Number

931-896-3971

Email Address

Fostonfoundation@gmail.com

Frequently Asked Questions

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Dr. Rebera Foston

MD, MPH, MATS, DMin

As president she is responsible for helping to shape the vision for the Foston Foundation. As a retired Ephibiatrician ( a physician who only treats teenagers), and a retired Public Health Officer, she brings over fifty years of experience in working successfully with young people. Dr. Foston has also incorporated her skills as a theologian and an ordained minister to her philosophy of Holistic Mentoring which undergirds the Training Section.

Dr. Foston graduated from Fisk University in 1970, Meharry Medical College, 1974, UNC Chapell Hill, 1981 ( master’s in public health) . In 1984 she simultaneously completed a Family Practice Residency, in Gary, a post-Doctoral Fellowship, Michigan State, and became Board Certified.

She began her medical practice, the Foston Adolescent Care in 1985 along with the Foston Adolescent Workshop. The Workshop became the prototype for the Foston Institute for Holistic Mentoring. She was appointed Health Commissioner of Gary , IN in 1988

In 1999, she simultaneously completed a master’s in theological studies and a Doctor of Ministry , United Theological Seminary. She became ordained in 2001. The goals of the Foston Foundation dove tail nicely with her personal vision of a ministry without walls.

Mr. Bryan Foston

PMP

As the VP of fundraising Mr. Bryan Foston has the responsibility to develop a sustainable fundraising effort. He will also couple the foundation’s fundraising strategy with a successful social media campaign. Bryan Foston graduated from Howard University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering, and in 1994 with a Master of Science in Computer Systems engineering. He is a global healthcare IT executive leader, who improves an organization’s ability to invest in, implement and enable technology solutions that achieve superior results. He also holds certification as a Project Management Professional in the IT Service Strategy (PMP) Mr. Bryan Foston’s greatest asset to this Board is that he is a composer and one of the members of the original Workshop.

Mr. Bryan Foston’s greatest asset to this Board is that he is a composer and one of the members of the original Workshop.

Roselyn
Aker-Black

Psy. D

As the VP of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Dr. Aker-Black (affectionately known as “Dr. Roz” ), will be responsible for developing a professional referral system to support participants based on their ACE Score. She graduated from Fisk University degree in Psychology and completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the American school Of Professional Psychology at Argosy, University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Roz is an award-winning psychologist with over 14 years of experience in providing psychological services to children and families, in the non-profit, government, and private sectors. She also serves as an adjunct psychology professor in the DC area training the next generation of clinical and forensic psychologists

Clyde Kilgore

Vice-President for Gifts

As the VP for Gifts, Mr. Kilgore, is responsible For creating the vibrant, environment so when Gifts are discovered they can immediately be nourished.
His has studied at Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. He is Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He is also a graphic Artist, a sound Technician, and a Certified Drone Operator. He will use his industry Contact to promote a nurturing of the gifts e find

Elizabeth Taylor

Board Secretary

As the Board Secretary, Elizabeth Taylor, will be responsible for maintaining impeccable records an documenting the work of the Board . By recording and transcribing the minutes from the zoom meetings . She will also prepare monthly reports to present at Board meetings.

Originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, even before she graduated high school, Elizabeth had become an accomplished medical billing specialist

In 2009 she graduated from Dillard University with a Degree in Psychology. Having narrowly escaped the ravages of Hurricane Katrina,

She uses her survival story to encourage the young people she meets in her professional life. She works as a Research Program Coordinator for the University of Arkansas, Medical Sciences School of Public Health

Deanna Largin MHA

MHA

As the VP of Assessments Ms. Deanna is responsible for the development , monitoring and refining of the assessment tools for the five critical areas that we address. Those areas are five areas are Personality, Learning Styles, Soft Skills, Aces and Gift Exploration.

She is a Consumer Advocate with CHOICES and SUPPORTS (LTSS) for the elderly. Even though her job keeps her well-versed in the needs of the elderly, she is an asset to us for two important reasons. Adolescent care and geriatric care are mirror images of each other. Deanna is also the proud mother of three teenagers, who eagerly provide to us from generation alpha.

Dr. Will Foston

M.D

As the Treasurer/CFO , Dr. Foston, is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records and filing all appropriate tax forms in a timely fashion. He also presents to the Board monthly. Dr. Foston is a retired General Surgeon, ER Physician, and Major in the USAF. He graduated in 1967 from Austin Peay State University, in Chemistry. He graduated from Meharry Medical College in 1972. After completing his General Surgery Residency in 1977, Dr Foston served two years in the Air Force, serving as the Chief of Surgery at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. He opened his General Surgical Practice in 1981 and switched to Emergency room care only . Until his retirement he maintained licenses in TN, KY MS, IN, NC.

Mr. Art Downs Jr.

Treasurer/CFO

As the former Treasurer/CFO , Mr. Downs was responsible for maintaining accurate financial records. He is from Laveen, AZ and retired as Vice President of Bank of America, in National Accounts. He was our first Board Member Emeritus.

The Late Robin Oliver

LCPSW

As our former VP of Assessments, Robin Oliver left an indelible mark on our organization. She served on our Board until her untimely death of Jan 4, 2025. We have named our highest Guide training award in her honor, the “Robin.”