Action

Presentation with the Gay-Straight Alliance at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA)

Our group organized a short, 20-minute presentation, for the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy middle school GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), after making a connection with, a school counselor at HMTCA, who got us into contact with the faculty advisor for the HMTCA GSA. Our presentation included stats on homelessness in Connecticut, and we specifically included stats on youth homelessness and LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness. These statistics were pulled from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) annual Youth Count Outreach and Count survey results. We also included an overview of the McKinney Vento Act and a video from CCEH’s Youth Help website. We also added slides on what to do if you are experiencing housing instability, and what you can do to get involved with the issue of Youth Homelessness.

Here is our full presentation

https://action-lab.org/youth-homelessness/files/2019/11/The-McKinney-Vento-Act-Youth-Homelessness-in-Connecticut.pdf

After the presentation, students completed post-presentation surveys for students to fill out about what they learned from the presentation. Majority if not all of the students, stated that they found this information useful. We also suggested that the leaders of the GSA take it upon themselves to use the presentation and educate their teachers.  Additionally, we gave students roadmaps for navigating homelessness if they find themselves in that situation, and resource cards they can use. You can find the roadmap and resource card in the Roadmap & Resources tab on our website. 

As part of our Action Lab project, we organized an event for Hunger Homelessness Awareness Week. It is a week of education and awareness about homelessness nationwide.  We organized an event where students at East Hartford High, a part of the Community Service day, decorated canvas bags in which they would then fill with hygiene products. Bags were filled with: shampoo, conditioner, body soap, a deodorant, socks, a pad, a tampon, and a toothbrush.  After the event, we donated the hygiene kits at South Park Inn, a shelter in Hartford, Connecticut.

Both of these events put into perspective the importance of bringing awareness of McKinney-Vento rights to youth who could possibly be facing homelessness. Our presentation gave vital information to students that probably would not have heard it anywhere else. The drive put into perspective the necessity of hygiene products that most people do not even think twice about owning.  Through the completion of these events we were able to build and strengthen relationships with Hartford area schools.