SchoolHouse Connection

Criminalizing homelessness is not the answer. Read SchoolHouse Connection's full statement on City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson: https://schoolhouseconnection.org/article/shc-statement-on-city-of-grants-pass-oregon-v-johnson

Today’s historic levels of homelessness represent a massive failure of public policy across multiple systems – including the homeless assistance system itself. Many homeless adults first experienced homelessness as children or youth, did not graduate from high school, and/or suffered various adverse events at the earliest stages of life.

To truly stop the cycle of homelessness, we must expand our vision: policymakers and leaders must focus equal attention and resources on children, youth, and families: infants, toddlers, school-age children, young adults, expectant parents, and caregivers. Every person who experiences homelessness – from before birth through old age – deserves respect and dignity.

We urge local leaders to reject criminalization and to instead embrace tailored solutions to prevent and address homelessness along the full continuum of life.

A new investigation by The 74 reveals how hundreds of U.S. high schools have wrongfully refused entry to older students, highlighting critical issues faced by immigrant youth and the importance of ensuring they receive the education they deserve. Take action to support and identify unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness.

🔎 The 74 Million article: https://bit.ly/4erA7nj
💪 Our resources: https://bit.ly/3REVsjb

LGBQ+ youth are twice as likely to experience homelessness compared to their heterosexual peers. 🔗 See our analysis 👉 https://bit.ly/3xs36qr

Find answers about serving children and youth experiencing , sorted into 16 topics! From prenatal through postsecondary, we have responded to hundreds of questions from the field, always citing applicable law and policy. 👉 https://bit.ly/3KMRIZi

This , let's talk Educational Rights of immigrant and migrant children and youth. Regardless of immigration status, children and youth living in the United States have the right to attend and participate fully in public schools. For all McKinney-Vento eligible students, schools must address barriers to full participation in school activities, including lack of documentation. Here are some key takeaways on this topic.
🔎 Learn more about how to support and students experiencing homelessness at https://bit.ly/3KK07wq.

McKinney-Vento Act Eligibility of Immigrant and Migrant Children and Youth This , let's talk Educational Rights of immigrant and migrant children and youth. Regardless of immigration status, children and youth...

All of the allowable uses (except short-term hotel/motel stays) of ARP-HCY funds will carry over to the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. 🔎 See slide 6: https://bit.ly/4bJJOeZ

Unaccompanied homeless youth are particularly harmed by delays. SchoolHouse Connection & 25 other orgs have signed on to NASFAA letter urging U.S. Department of Education to stick to Oct.1 launch date. A timely release is crucial for students experiencing . 📝 👉

www.nasfaa.org

Last week, five SchoolHouse Connection scholars joined staff attending the National Conference of State Legislatures Youth and Young Adult Policy Forum in Boston. In addition to fully participating in the conference, scholars spoke on a panel moderated by our Youth Leadership and Scholarship Director, Jordyn Roark.

Key takeaways from the scholars' panel?
👉 The importance of caring adults
👉 The need for improved identification and outreach in K-12 and higher education
👉 The need for improved access to mental health resources both on and off campus

We’ve conducted 14 ARP-HCY webinars, engaging over 4,800 registrants since September 2023. Dozens of advocates, liaisons, and champions from across the country have joined us to share strategies and examples of how school districts are using these funds to support students experiencing .

🗣️ Here are some highlights of what they've shared: https://bit.ly/4aOrUq9
🎥 Browse our full ARP-HCY webinar playlist here: https://bit.ly/4aLOsrD

Maximize final ARP-HCY funds with our Quick Spending and Cost Guide. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3V5WZQq We've organized this resource into 11 allowable-use categories by relative high, medium to high, and lower cost options. Start using the guide today (or pass along to a colleague) to get tangible strategies in effectively utilizing remaining ARP-HCY funds.

📍 Are you in or near DC? Join us Monday at the U.S. Capitol for the briefing 'Youth Voices: Homelessness, Hope, and The Road Ahead', in Coordination with U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). RSVP by this Friday! https://bit.ly/4en4ewf

This briefing is a facilitated discussion among eight youth and young adults from across the country who experienced in high school and throughout much of their childhoods.

RSVP required for individuals without a Congressional ID.
*Please note: This event will not be recorded or live-streamed.

Deadline extended to June 21st!

📣 Help Us Help Youth: Take a quick 5 Minute Survey on FAFSA and Homeless and Foster Youth by 6/15! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3V3VvaD. We'd like to hear from anyone assisting youth experiencing & youth with experience in the care system to complete the . Your assistance will help us improve our advocacy through the valuable insights from those directly involved in supporting students.

📣 Three bills supporting Pennsylvania youth experiencing are primed to pave the way to progress. First step–getting them heard and passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly! Take action today to urge PA legislators to hear and pass HB 729, 730, and 1175. 👉 Find all the info you need on the bills, the committees considering them, and how to take action at bit.ly/4aEIsRh.

🥳 The first reviews are in! Homeless liaisons, social workers, state coordinators, community organizations, state policymakers, and young people are already praising the all-new SchoolHouseConnection.org for being clean, concise, easy to navigate, and packed with useful resources. Check it out today, then tell us what YOU think! 🗣️ ✍️ https://bit.ly/3K4x46n

📣 Here’s what people are saying:

✅ "I think it looks great. It's visually easy to follow and has great information." - Patricia A. Popp, Ph.D. (EHCY State Coordinator, Clinical Associate Professor, William & Mary School of Education)

✅ "It is super easy to navigate, nicely designed, and very straightforward with tons of useful information and resources. As someone navigating college preparation on my own, I really appreciated how helpful the resources listed were, as well as the fact that they were easy to grasp and thoroughly explained." - Shakara (SHC Scholar 2024)

✅ “It looks AMAZING!! Congratulations!!! Beautiful, clean, concise design." - Jennifer Pringle (Project Director, Advocates for Children of New York)

✅ "Clear, concise & the layout flows very well." - Dawn Jakubowski (Office Manager, MI State Senator Paul Wojno)

✅ "So intuitive and sharp." - Project HOPE-Virginia (via Instagram)

✅ "Love the new website!" - Janel Semon, MSW (Social Worker, Kenosha Unified School District, WI)

✅ "The UI is amazing." - Joshua Burns (User Experience Designer at pod, llc)

📣 Help Us Help Youth: Take a quick 5 Minute Survey on FAFSA and Homeless and Foster Youth by 6/15! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3V3VvaD. We'd like to hear from anyone assisting youth experiencing & youth with experience in the care system to complete the . Your assistance will help us improve our advocacy through the valuable insights from those directly involved in supporting students.

Summer is fast approaching, and for many students experiencing , these are the months they are most vulnerable to go without the supports they receive when schools are in session. American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds can help school districts maintain connections with families, add capacity to liaisons to provide summer supports, and help ensure students are ready to return to school in the fall.💡 Download our Two-Pager on the benefits and considerations when providing summer activities with ARP-HCY funds. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3wUKq23

How can afterschool & summer learning programs engage and support youth who are experiencing homelessness or in foster care?

Register for our webinar on May 23 at 2 PM ET to learn about strategies & access helpful resources: https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_LmwfkJO6Rga9ciDSFjYcQw #/

CEF released its FY 2025 education budget book yesterday with education practitioners describing the impact of education investments in early education, K-12 education, higher education, and adult education. You can watch the briefing, download the budget book's education funding charts, and watch 3 video stories at CEF's website at https://cef.org/advocacy/cef-budget-book/

Tomorrow, we join ZERO TO THREE, Children's HealthWatch, and Oppstartsathome for a national call on safe, affordable housing for infants and toddlers. We'll discuss the intersection of early childhood development and housing, sharing key findings on how safe, affordable housing impacts child well-being, family stability, educational outcomes, and health. Join us tomorrow, May 22nd, from 3:00-4:00pm Eastern. ✍️ Register here: https://tinyurl.com/3a45mjhw