Project HOPE-Virginia

Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Project HOPE-Virginia is Virginia’s Program for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. William & Mary administers the program for the Virginia Department of Education. Funding is authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (P.L. 114-95).

Vision
Project HOPE-Virginia aims to champion personal well-being and growth, in addition to academic success, for each student experiencing homelessness in Virginia. Our vision is to bridge the needs and hopes of these children and youth, so they flourish and become autonomous, empowered citizens.
Mission
Project HOPE-Virginia supports the success of children and youth experiencing homelessness through identification, enrollment, and school stability, in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
In partnership with local school divisions, community organizations, and state agencies, we create quality educational practices and customized programs to meet the needs of these students and families.
Through advocacy, technical assistance, and collaboration with our partners, we empower students, equip educators, and advance policies that promote access and success for all students experiencing homelessness.
Values

Advocacy – We champion acknowledging the lived experiences of students and families in unstable living conditions and meeting student needs in school, community, and policy settings.
Belonging – We honor the unique needs of students and families and create caring communities by prioritizing relationships at the state and local levels.
Empathy – We listen to, believe, and humanize the complexity of housing instability and its rippling effects on students, their families, and education.
Empowerment – We focus on equipping educators with the support and resources they need to achieve short- and long-term academic success and personal fulfilment for students and their families.