Location

Parker-Reed, SSWAC

Start Date

1-5-2014 2:00 PM

End Date

1-5-2014 3:00 PM

Project Type

Poster

Description

As part of the Colby Undergraduate Student Philanthropist (CUSP) foundation, funded by the Learning by Giving Foundation, we are collaborating with United Way of Mid-Maine to write a 10,000 grant allocated over a three-year period in support of United Way of Mid-Maines Youth Homelessness Initiative. This program would provide homeless or at-risk for homelessness youth ages in junior and high school (grades 5 through 12) in northern Kennebec, Somerset, and western Waldo counties with the basic needs they require in order to stay in school and ultimately earn a high school diploma.During the 2011-12 pilot project of the Youth Homelessness Initiative, United Way of Mid-Maine coordinated with 9 participating partner school districts to identify 167 students who were homeless or at-risk for homelessness in high school. Assessments from 2013 suggest that the number of homeless or at-risk for homelessness youth has increased significantly, with the numbers in the Waterville School District alone almost doubling (48 identified students in 2011-12 and 80 in 2013-14). Homeless or at-risk of homelessness youth (grades 5-12) are not supported through a stable home environment and cannot receive assistance through most homeless shelters, which typically only accommodate families. Thus, the Youth Homelessness Initiative is one of the only opportunities to provide for these youths by meeting their basic needs and putting them on the path toward success and stability following high school graduation. Through the ,000 CUSP grant, our team hopes to expand the Youth Homelessness Initiative to include junior high as well as high school and also enable the program to sustainably run starting in the 2014-15 school year through the 2016-17 school year.

Faculty Sponsor

Tom Morrione

Sponsoring Department

Colby College. Sociology Dept.

CLAS Field of Study

Social Sciences

Event Website

http://www.colby.edu/clas

ID

489

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May 1st, 2:00 PM May 1st, 3:00 PM

Learning by Giving: The Youth Homelessness Initiative

Parker-Reed, SSWAC

As part of the Colby Undergraduate Student Philanthropist (CUSP) foundation, funded by the Learning by Giving Foundation, we are collaborating with United Way of Mid-Maine to write a 10,000 grant allocated over a three-year period in support of United Way of Mid-Maines Youth Homelessness Initiative. This program would provide homeless or at-risk for homelessness youth ages in junior and high school (grades 5 through 12) in northern Kennebec, Somerset, and western Waldo counties with the basic needs they require in order to stay in school and ultimately earn a high school diploma.During the 2011-12 pilot project of the Youth Homelessness Initiative, United Way of Mid-Maine coordinated with 9 participating partner school districts to identify 167 students who were homeless or at-risk for homelessness in high school. Assessments from 2013 suggest that the number of homeless or at-risk for homelessness youth has increased significantly, with the numbers in the Waterville School District alone almost doubling (48 identified students in 2011-12 and 80 in 2013-14). Homeless or at-risk of homelessness youth (grades 5-12) are not supported through a stable home environment and cannot receive assistance through most homeless shelters, which typically only accommodate families. Thus, the Youth Homelessness Initiative is one of the only opportunities to provide for these youths by meeting their basic needs and putting them on the path toward success and stability following high school graduation. Through the ,000 CUSP grant, our team hopes to expand the Youth Homelessness Initiative to include junior high as well as high school and also enable the program to sustainably run starting in the 2014-15 school year through the 2016-17 school year.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/105