Educating Homeless Children Workshop

Korrin B.

March 30, 2009 - 3:00 PM

Today I got the privilege of joining 4j School District employees from various schools and positions to learn about educating homeless children. The coordinator of the ACE after school program that I work in knew that I was interested in homelessness issues, especially in relation to children and families, so she helped get me registered for this special workshop. I ended up taking a lot away from it.

Kasey White, the Homeless Liaison for the 4j School District, put on the workshop. Her job involves making sure that homeless children are assured their right to an education. She makes sure that they have transportation and provides support for the families.

The main focus of the workshop was on the McKinney-Vento Act. This Act was created in order to give homeless children an equal opportunity for education. It allows a homeless child to go to whatever school they want despite the district they live in, as well as providing free transportation to that school if they need it. The Act also calls for the immediate registration of a homeless child, even if they are not able to provide necessary medical records and other such documents at the time of enrollment. Kasey White then works to help get the needed documents for official enrollment.
It was a very interesting topic to discuss, as it is becoming more and more of an issue. There are approximately 2,100 homeless individuals residing in Lane County alone. Many parents have been worried of losing their jobs and in turn not being able to pay their rent, due to the current state of the economy. This is why it is so important for educators to understand topics such as the McKinney-Vento Act.

I am a firm believer that a good education is the key to solving many problems of the world. I think that a good education can help homeless children to one day rise out of poverty and do something amazing. It is great to see the 4j School District giving homeless children that opportunity and providing the children, as well as the staff, with the types of resources needed to succeed. I realize that the school districts could use a lot more money, but I am impressed by the work that they do with the budget cuts they continually face.

I ended up talking more with Kasey White after the workshop and have decided to begin volunteering for her once a week and then once a week for a school called New Roads. New Roads is a school for at risk youth who need extra attention to make sure that they graduate from high school and succeed. It will be a great experience for me to be able to shadow Kasey White's work and I'm sure it will be inspirational to see all that she does for the homeless families in Eugene.