Youth Homelessness

Homelessness and Poverty in the Public Education System: An Intro to Our Blog Series

Children know when they are falling behind academically. As they continue to struggle, they can develop both low self esteem and a dislike of school. That is why it is so essential that children who need extra help get it. Image from pixabay.com.
Children know when they are falling behind academically. As they continue to struggle, they can develop both low self esteem and a dislike of school. That is why it is so essential that children who need extra help get it. Image from pixabay.com.
As the new school year starts, teachers face many challenges. So do children who are dealing with homelessness and poverty. And this couldn’t be truer than for impoverished children who are also in need of special education services. Adults who work with children in poverty and homelessness need to understand how this environment influences academic skill and emotional development, and how it relates to special education needs. That's why we're launching this series by Perry Firth on how homelessness and poverty affect the development of children, and how this can show up in the education system.

As Heard on NPR: Homelessness Threatens Student Success

In a StoryCorps conversation that aired on NPR this morning, Erika (left) talks with her mom about attending high school while living in a car. Image from StoryCorps.
In a StoryCorps conversation that aired on NPR this morning, Erika (left) talks with her mom about attending high school while living in a car. Image from StoryCorps.
More than 30,000 schoolchildren in Washington state are experiencing homelessness. In a heart-wrenching story that aired on NPR this morning, one of these students, Erika, talks about the challenges of attending high school while living in a car with her family.

“Very Often, LGBT Teens Have No Concept that Their Life Can Be Good”

LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness raise awareness about their struggles. Image from Instinct Magazine.
LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness raise awareness about their struggles. Image from Instinct Magazine.
As many as 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, and oftentimes they end up trapped in a cycle of abuse, poverty, and street life that lasts well into adulthood. Guest blogger Sarah Bartlett illuminates some of the struggles with poverty and homelessness that many members of the LGBTQ community experience.

Homelessness No Longer “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” for Filmmakers and Their Communities

<em></em> <p><em>"The Beast Inside" is one of four animated shorts produced by the <a href="http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/departments/communication/strategic-communications/film-project/">Film & Family Homelessness Project</a>. Co-director and animator Drew Christie told us that making this film helped him understand how "institutional racism, bigotry, misunderstandings and fear" contribute to homelessness.</em></p>

"The Beast Inside" is one of four animated shorts produced by the Film & Family Homelessness Project. Co-director and animator Drew Christie told us that making this film helped him understand how "institutional racism, bigotry, misunderstandings and fear" contribute to homelessness.

Seattle University's Film & Family Homelessness Project worked with six Seattle-area filmmakers to produce four beautiful animated films revealing different aspects of living with poverty and homelessness. The stories were informed by families who have first-hand experience with these challenges. Developing these films was a learning process for the filmmakers, and we invited them to share lessons they came away with. Read their reflections and watch the American Refugees films.

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