Awareness Videos

Bringing Awareness to Homeless Education and McKinney-Vento
Every year, student homelessness across the U.S. continues to rise. Compounding the trauma of homelessness, conditions like poverty, physical abuse and neglect, limited food, and lack of healthcare can add to the stress faced by these children and youth. The impact of the toxic stress caused by homeless situations can follow these students throughout their lives. But there is HOPE. School is often the one place that these students can spend time in a quiet, safe space, develop friendships, and experience success.
Project HOPE-Virginia Awareness Videos
Our awareness videos underscore the key components of the McKinney-Vento Act, which guarantees children and youth experiencing homelessness certain educational rights, including the right to immediate enrollment, transportation to and from school, free school meals, and other resources. Additionally, these videos highlight the critical need to identify young learners as early as possible and to give older youth experiencing homelessness the supports they need to achieve high school graduation. View and share these awareness videos to help advocate for our most vulnerable children and youth.
1. The McKinney-Vento Act
This awareness video describes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, which guarantees rights...
This awareness video describes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, which guarantees rights and services to ensure the enrollment, attendance, and success of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
2. Homelessness Under McKinney-Vento
This awareness video describes living situations that are considered homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and emphasizes the importance...
This awareness video describes living situations that are considered homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and emphasizes the importance of educational stability for students experiencing homelessness due to their high mobility.
3. McKinney-Vento and School Stability
This awareness video highlights the importance of having a predictable and consistent routine so that students experiencing homelessness can succeed...
This awareness video highlights the importance of having a predictable and consistent routine so that students experiencing homelessness can succeed in school. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, these students are guaranteed certain educational rights so they can experience school stability and get the support they need to thrive.
4. McKinney-Vento and Removing Barriers
This awareness video emphasizes the many barriers faced by students experiencing homelessness including lack of supplies, limited social connections, and...
This awareness video emphasizes the many barriers faced by students experiencing homelessness including lack of supplies, limited social connections, and feeling left behind in the classroom. The McKinney-Vento Act helps to remove these barriers so these students can focus on school.
5. Barriers Faced by Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
This awareness video describes the barriers commonly faced by unaccompanied homeless youth, who may feel unsafe or unwelcome at home and move from place to place...
This awareness video describes the barriers commonly faced by unaccompanied homeless youth, who may feel unsafe or unwelcome at home and move from place to place to avoid overstaying their welcome. Whether they are sleeping in a shelter, car, motel, or couch-surfing, these students have the right to educational stability under the McKinney-Vento Act if they have not graduated from high school.
6. Supporting Youth Experiencing Homelessness
This awareness video emphasizes the constant uncertainty that older youth experiencing homelessness face such as figuring out where to sleep each night or searching...
This awareness video emphasizes the constant uncertainty that older youth experiencing homelessness face such as figuring out where to sleep each night or searching for their next meal. Considering these challenges, graduating from high school may feel like an impossible task. Further, without a diploma, these youth are 4.5 times more likely to experience the cycle of homelessness in adulthood. A McKinney-Vento liaison is available in every school division to help these students stay enrolled and connect to the resources they need, offering hope and support to succeed in school and beyond.
7. Barriers Faced by Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
This awareness video focuses on infants and young children experiencing homelessness who often go without safe spaces and consistent routines that allow...
This awareness video focuses on infants and young children experiencing homelessness who often go without safe spaces and consistent routines that allow them to play and thrive. Research shows homelessness and its associated stressors can be detrimental to their growth and development. But, there is HOPE. Public preschool and early intervention programs are available across Virginia to help mitigate the challenges faced by young children experiencing homelessness. Every local school division has a McKinney-Vento liaison who can connect these children to essential programs and resources, offering support during these critical developmental years.
8. Supporting Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
This awareness video focuses on infants and young children experiencing homelessness who are often delayed in meeting developmental milestones due to the toxic stressors...
This awareness video focuses on infants and young children experiencing homelessness who are often delayed in meeting developmental milestones due to the toxic stressors of their living situation. These delays can create challenges that persist throughout their lives. In Virginia, these vulnerable children are significantly undercounted and unidentified for services. The earlier they are identified and connected to supports, the greater their chance of overcoming these challenges. It is essential that infants and young children experiencing homelessness are identified and connected to local public preschool and early intervention programs as early as possible to receive the support they need during this critical time in their development.