For 10 years, ECYEH Awareness Week has been honoring and bringing awareness to the importance of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the education needed to provide stability and consistency to students experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania.
Programs throughout Pennsylvania will be hosting celebrations for children and youth experiencing homelessness and their families. We want our communities and leaders to experience these celebrations so they can understand the impact you make and continued resources needed.
Let’s celebrate together!
- Participate in November Professional Development webinars before ECYEH Awareness Week.
- Build a community – Share your celebrations with us!
- Attend events at the state Capitol, Wednesday, November 15.
- Participate in Red Shirt Day, Friday, November 17.
- Invite students to join in the celebration.
- Use and share our digital content.
Build a community – Share your celebrations with us!
If you are posting information about your celebrations on social media, please tag our campaign accounts:
- Twitter/X: @PA_ECYEH, @Center_Schools
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-schools-and-communities/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ECYEHPA/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ecyeh
Please use our hashtags:
- #IWillBeYourVoice
- #FindingYourWayinPA
- #LetsHaveAConversation
- #RedShirtDayPA
- #Homelessness
Please use your bitly link to send people to this page: https://bit.ly/ECYEH-Week.
Attend events at the state Capitol, Wednesday, November 15
Informational Hearing with Rep. Donna Bullock and House Children and Youth Committee
9:00 – 10:00 AM | Majority Conference Room, State Capitol
Join Rep. Donna Bullock in a session with the Children and Youth Committee highlighting:
- The critical needs of mental health and transportation support for academic stability and success for students experiencing homelessness.
- What the data tells us about students experiencing homelessness across the state.
- McKinney-Vento’s vital role in protecting the educational rights of youth experiencing homelessness.
Legislative visits
10:00 AM
Legislative rally to end youth homelessness with PA ECYEH Awareness and the National Network 4 Youth
12:00 PM | Capitol Rotunda
The press event will include:
- Introductions of four new bills impacting youth.
- ECYEH Awareness Resolution reading.
Lunch
1:00 PM
You must register to attend lunch.
Participate in Red Shirt Day, Friday, Nov. 17
On Friday, Nov. 17, turn your school and community programs red to raise awareness for education for children and youth experiencing homelessness!
- Take photos, selfies, videos, and share them on Facebook (tag @ECYEHPA) and Twitter (tag @PA_ECYEH and @Center_Schools) where we will also turn social media red!
- Host a toiletries drive.
- Watch or host an #IWillBeYourVoice story hour.
- Create your own photobooth and take pictures #IWillBeYourVoice.
- Share facts about students experiencing homelessness on morning announcements each day (see some our social media posts for announcement fact ideas).
- “Stuff the bus” with hygiene materials, food, clothing, blankets, etc.
- Make Birthday cake kits/ bags cards
Invite students to join in the celebration
Student voices and stories are key to raising awareness about the importance of support for students experiencing homelessness. Please use the language below to email and share with students.
Download Let’s Celebrate PDF flyer to post in your school or program
Sample email content
Subject: Share your #IWillBeYourVoice story
Did you know Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Awareness Week is Nov. 13-17, 2023? Who likes to raise their voice? Are you interested in raising awareness for those your age?
Join us by raising your voice and learning more about ECYEH Awareness Week. Youth your age are experiencing homelessness and you may not even know. This is your chance to cultivate awareness and support for those students experiencing homelessness within your school and community.
You can participate by joining us for Red Shirt Day on Friday, Nov. 17!
On Friday, Nov. 17, turn your school and community programs red to raise awareness for education for children and youth experiencing homelessness!
- Take photos, selfies, videos, and share them on Facebook (tag @ECYEHPA) and Twitter (tag @PA_ECYEH and @Center_Schools) where we will also turn social media red!
- Host a toiletries drive.
- Watch or host an #IWillBeYourVoice story hour.
- Create your own photobooth and take pictures #IWillBeYourVoice.
Use and share our digital content
Download #IWillBeYourVoice digital background to use in your virtual meetings.
Download social media cover photos:
Download the images below to use in your posts and emails. To download, please click on the link and right-click “save image as” to save the image to your device.
Sample social post content:
More than 40,000 Pennsylvania children & youth experiencing homelessness were served by the ECYEH program in 2021-22. Source: PA Dept. of Ed. Learn what you can do to help. https://bit.ly/ECYEH-Impact #IWillBeYourVoice
Homelessness is one of the greatest barriers to a child’s success in school. Learn what you can do to help. https://bit.ly/ECYEH-Impact #IWillBeYourVoice #Homelessness
Homelessness at any age is a traumatic experience, causing emotional, physical, & mental reactions in children & youth. The PA ECYEH program helps students experiencing homelessness have a school life that is as regular as possible & access to free & appropriate public education. https://schoolhouseconnection.org/five-facts-educators-need-to-know-about-student-homelessness/
Children experiencing homelessness need help adjusting to new teachers, assistance with meeting assignments, and basic things like school uniforms or fees for class trips. You can make a difference in the success of these children. https://schoolhouseconnection.org/five-facts-educators-need-to-know-about-student-homelessness/ #IWillBeYourVoice #LetsHaveAConversation
Here’s a tip to support children experiencing homelessness: Recognize the importance of a caring environment as the foundation for academic success. #IWilBeYourVoice https://www.aypf.org/blog/make-no-choice-without-youth-voice/
Today’s tip to support children experiencing homelessness: strengthen positive connections with families & form partnerships to develop & implement programs that will nurture & reinforce resilience in children. #IWillBeYourVoice #LetsHaveAConversation https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-support-well-being/article/supporting-children-families-experiencing-homelessness
Today’s tip for school & community leaders to support children experiencing homelessness: learn how to use Title I & other federal program funds, like PA’s American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth Program to provide needed services for children experiencing homelessness. #IWillBeYourVoice #LetsHaveAConversation https://ecyehpennsylvania.center-school.org/
Today’s tip for school & community leaders: take every opportunity to move from isolated programs with limited outreach to coordinating holistic services for children & youth experiencing homelessness. #IWillBeYourVoice #LetsHaveAConversation https://www.air.org/resource/brief/trauma-sensitive-schools-and-social-and-emotional-learning-integration
Thanks to McKinney-Vento, every local education agency (LEA) must have a homeless liaison who ensures students experiencing homelessness can enroll and succeed in school. Find your LEA’s homeless liaison with the Pennsylvania statewide homeless liaison directory. #IWillBeYourVoice https://directory.center-school.org/homeless/liaison