2025 is a big year for UMFS. As we celebrate 125 years of service to Virginia children, teens, and families, we have been finding ways to celebrate – that includes engaging current clients in the fun, too!
UMFS Charterhouse School students in Richmond and Edinburg decorated cakes in their art classes and the activity was incorporated in recreational therapy for residents of our Child & Family Healing Center in Richmond.
The finished products of this exercise are amazing, and just a small testament to the creativity of UMFS children and teens. From varying color choices and patterning to expanding the image beyond the cake itself, these kids really had fun making these cakes their own and celebrating this milestone!
One student at UMFS’ Charterhouse School in Richmond decided to make a 3-D project. This “Circle of Courage” cake highlights the youth empowerment philosophy that guides our approach at UMFS. The Circle of Courage is a philosophy that integrates contemporary developmental research, the heritage of early youth pioneers, and Native American philosophies of child care. This model promotes positive youth development based on the principal that there are four universal growth needs important to a child’s emotional stability and psychological development: Generosity, Belonging, Independence and Mastery. We loved seeing how this student brought the philosophy to life while celebrating UMFS’s 125-year legacy!
Click here to see the amazing work of UMFS students and residents, totaling over 125 cakes for 125 years of UMFS!