THE UNPARENTED PROJECT
Every person deserves
a fair start.
We champion individuals who grew up without consistent parental support — helping them build the skills, confidence, and professional foundation to thrive in the workforce and in life.
Unparented
Describes an individual who grew up without consistent, nurturing parental guidance — whether due to absence, neglect, incarceration, addiction, or other circumstances — resulting in gaps in social, emotional, and professional development that persist into adulthood.
— Coined by Megan Hope, Founder
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Our Mission
To equip individuals who grew up without consistent parental support with the professional skills, emotional tools, and workplace knowledge they need to build sustainable careers and confident, self-sufficient lives.
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Our Vision
Our focus is workforce development and career development for the individual. A world where the absence of parental guidance is no longer a barrier to professional success, where every unparented individual has access to the mentorship, training, and resources needed to compete, contribute, and lead with confidence. We bring this work into communities and into companies because the people we serve are everywhere: just starting out, stuck in place, or rising without a roadmap. Every person deserves someone in their corner who can show them how the professional world really works. We go wherever we can meet the person who needs our resources. We are here to partner with local community organizations, churches and faith communities, workforce development boards, and American Job Centers. We are here to collaborate with community colleges, vocational and trade schools, apprenticeship programs, public libraries, and adult education centers. We are here to reach young people through foster care and youth aging-out programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and YWCAs, and school guidance offices. We are here to support people rebuilding their lives through reentry programs, shelters, and transitional housing providers. We also work alongside the United Way, Urban League chapters, chambers of commerce, local SHRM chapters, and any and all employers who are committed to developing talent from within. Together, we are building a pipeline of opportunity so that no one has to figure out their career alone.
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Our Values
Everything we do is anchored in dignity, equity, and radical compassion. We lead without judgment, serve with excellence, and build programming that honors the real, complex journeys of everyone we serve.
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Community as Family
For many of those we serve, this community may be the first experience of consistent belonging. We build environments where people are seen, supported, and genuinely celebrated — and where hope is the engine of everything we do.