“Now more than ever our children in foster care need a physical outlet to relieve the stress of uncertainty. To have a 12-week program that provides this outlet, plus important life lessons delivered by a caring adult is priceless to these kids....We are grateful as a department for +swappow PLUS Foundation...”

— Mike Faust, Director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS)

“I never thought I would make my own board and design a skate graphic in my life. Yeah, sometimes we are the right seed planted in the wrong soil and never get to see ourselves grow, but now I finally am.”

— Professional Development Participant

“After six years of struggling with an addiction, my foster son discovered that skateboarding could be his new drug of choice. He has now been clean for four months which is a huge accomplishment for him. His new passion is skating and he spends every free minute learning new tricks… I can’t thank this organization enough for their time and support. They have gone above and beyond to help my kiddo during his recovery.”

— Foster Parent

“Lessons such as managed risk, delayed gratification, goal setting, discipline, repetition, and just showing up, all these and more can be learned with an added measure of joy… on a skateboard. I have seen how the approach SWAPPOW Plus Foundation takes with our youth succeed. I have seen introverts become advocates, I have seen disenfranchised youth look to their futures with purpose and the knowledge that their past circumstances do not dictate their trajectory in life. I have seen each youth come to understand that all they need to succeed in skateboarding and in life is within them. I highly recommend Michael Shapiro and the SWAPPOW Plus Foundation for their work with our youth experiencing foster care.”

— Cynthia Weiss, Director of Communications, Arizona Department of Child Safety