The research programme on transformative agency by double stimulation within cultural-historical activity theory is a resource for responding to pressing societal needs of our time. The peculiarity of this programme lies in the ambition to develop a rigorous approach to grasping processes of collective transformative agency and generating viable…

In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California's cash assistance program for families with children. This brief highlights findings from the research on parenting students' experiences with housing.

In the 2021-22 school year, public schools identified roughly 1.2 million students experiencing homelessness, according to recent U.S. Department of Education data (NCHE, 2023). The high mobility that may occur because of homelessness creates challenges that impact students academically. Addressing these challenges requires cross-sector…

Systems navigators help local educational agencies (LEAs) meet the needs of students experiencing homelessness and decrease barriers to their education by connecting them--and often their families--to resources and community organizations that can provide wraparound services. This National Center for Homeless Education brief: (1) provides…

Eradicating homelessness is one of the most pressing challenges for efforts aimed at equity and social justice in the world. Many people who experience homelessness have histories of violence, growing up in child protection institutions, involvement in criminal activities, and mental and health problems connected with substance abuse. Homelessness…

Preparing students for their future is a clear and concise goal of education. STEM education is no different and is often considered a key way to increase students' 21st century skills or prepare students for a future career (Bybee 2010). We also believe that education should engage students as empathetic problem solvers (as described in Bush and…

When families experience homelessness, both parents and children are adversely affected. The effects of homelessness may be even more profound when both the children and parents are young. Using developmental and ecological lenses, the authors describe how homelessness complicates the tasks facing young parents and their children in the early…

National studies and research on the authors' own campus confirms that many college students are sacrificing their health and safety to earn a degree. Furthermore, the challenges experienced by under-resourced college students can prevent them from obtaining a quality educational experience, hinder their progress toward graduation, and contribute…

Although the transition to adulthood after graduation can be difficult for any student, additional challenges remain for independent students. The authors define independent students as undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 24 who have no dependency on a parent or guardian, such as foster care alumni. It is important that higher education…

Each year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releases an Annual Homeless Assessment Report that provides an estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness (in sheltered and unsheltered situations). The report also provides estimates for specific homeless populations such as people experiencing chronic homelessness or…

Despite the increased recognition of older adult homelessness in research, policy, and practice, few studies have considered the potential to co-produce knowledge using community-based participatory research (CBPR) filmmaking with older adults with homeless histories. This project redresses this gap. Using walk along and drive along interviews the…

Housing insecurity and homelessness is an ever-increasing issue within higher education. In this chapter, the authors highlight the ways that one program is responding to students' needs.

Within the health care sector, researchers, clinicians, and payers increasingly recognize the importance of the social determinants of health for improving maternal and child health. This article focuses on existing and emerging approaches to screening families for unstable housing circumstances. The authors describe how housing stability…

This article describes the Building Early Links for Learning (BELL) initiative in Philadelphia, PA. BELL looks to promote resilience in young children staying in emergency housing for homeless families. The goal is to make the settings more responsive and supportive to children's developmental needs as they adapt to experiences of homelessness and…

This study explores the ways in which local students experience housing instability--and how cross-sector strategies can better identify and serve these students. The report accompanying this brief considers a rich set of school administrative data, collected over the course of three school years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic: 2016-17 through…