Category: News

Louisville Houses 115 Homeless Youth and Young Adults in 100 Days

November 8, 2017 – A team of partners, led by the Coalition for the Homeless, completed a 100-Day Challenge to accelerate efforts to end youth homelessness. This work was made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and private philanthropic partners. Rapid Results Institute (RRI) and HomeBase will offer technical support to the team, as they strive to meet their goals. 

A 100-Day Challenge is a project where a community decides together on an incredibly ambitious goal: to end experiences of homelessness for a large number of young people in their community. With just 100 days to meet their goal, everyone from community leaders down to front-line workers are invited to do their work differently, change systems and innovate. In order to make great strides, communities must take on great challenges. The limited timeframe, the high-profile effort, and the intensive support from RRI results in communities progressing on three major tasks: problem solving, innovation, and partnership-building. 

The Coalition for the Homeless’s work to understand youth homelessness, launched initially in 2013, soon led to the creation of the Coalition Supporting Young Adults (CSYA) and a community mapping of existing resources for homeless youth, including youth shelter; drop in centers; and education, employment and housing opportunities. This mapping process enabled CSYA and the community to identify gaps and potential opportunities to re-allocate existing resources. The collaborative work of CSYA has already supported the development of new resources including two new drop-in centers, a community-wide plan to reengage out of school youth and a professional development program to train a cohort of “connectors” who can quickly link homeless and disconnected youth. In addition to CSYA, a Youth Advisory Board, an Education/Employment Collaborative, and a Homeless Youth Committee consisting of 41 community leaders have also all been formed. These entities will be crucial as Louisville continues to address youth homelessness during the 100-Day Challenge.

“Our plan and implementation must not only address the housing needs of approximately 868 youth, but also create preventive solutions to keep the large number of precariously housed youth counted by JCPS not only out of the shelters, but in a safe setting that allows them to thrive,” says Natalie Harris, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville. “One of our main focuses will be in creating transitional and rapid rehousing programs integrated with education and employment.”

Coalition for the Homeless

About the Coalition for the Homeless

The Coalition for the Homeless, located at 1300 S. 4th Street, Suite 250, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to prevent and eliminate homelessness in Louisville. The Coalition has a three-pronged approach to this mission: advocacy, education, and coordination of their 31 member agencies that provide a variety of services to the homeless throughout the city. To learn more about how to support this work, become a mentor or hire a young person, go to Coalition for the Homeless website or Facebook page. 

Louisville Commits to Ending Youth Homelessness

Get involved with this coordinated effort, led by the Coalition for the Homeless, to end youth homeless:

MENTOR a Young Person

REimage

Y-Now

Uspiritus

CASA

Kentucky Refugee Ministries

Louisville Youth Group

Orphan Care Alliance

Family and Children’s Place

HIRE a Young Person

REimage

Kentucky Youth Career Center

Mayor’s SummerWorks

YouthBuild Louisville

VOLUNTEER Time and Resources

Home of the Innocents

Kristi Love Foundation

Restorative Justice

TAYLRD (Centerstone)

Volunteers of America

YMCA Safe Place

YouthBuild Louisville

Family Scholar House

DONATE to Organizations Serving Homeless Youth

Coalition for the Homeless– please designate donations for agencies that help homeless youth

YMCA Safe Place Services 

 Emergency assistance, services and shelter for homeless persons under 22 years old available
24 hours through the Safe Place Hotline, 502-635-5233.

How Many Young Adults in Louisville Haven’t Completed High School?

Recently released data from the U.S. Census estimate there are nearly 10,000 18 to 24 year olds in Jefferson County, KY without a high school diploma or GED.

 

number-without-diploma-trend-data

 

This represents a significant decline in the percentage of young women without a high school credential from 2005 to 2015 (from 26.26% to 13.35%). However, the percentage of young men who have not completed high school declined only slightly over the same period, from 18.3% to 16.5%.

 

percent-without-diploma-trend-data

 

 

Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 Focuses on At-Risk Students

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes several provisions that support state and district efforts to prevent students from dropping out of high school and to reengage out-of-school youth.

For instance, federal funds are available to schools to coordinate efforts to address aspects of school climate that contribute to students leaving school, such as school-based violence and excessive use of suspensions. These funds encourage schools to work with community-based organizations to introduce violence-prevention programs and train staff in disciplinary strategies that reduce exclusionary discipline.

Additional provisions address the needs of court-involved, homeless, disabled and foster care youth.

Read a brief overview of the ESSA here.

Can Louisville become a “Trauma Informed” Community?

Could we help teachers, parents, police officers, and any other adults who impact young people recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma and the potential paths for recovery? What would our schools, jails, courts, workplaces and community look like if we all took a trauma informed approach to raising the next generation?

Learn more about Trauma Informed Care from Child Trends and tell us what you think in the comments below…

 

Career Pathways Training at JCTC

aoky

 

 

 

Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky (AOKY) is a career pathways program that combines basic skills education (math, reading and writing) with technical skills training to prepare students for a high demand job. The AOKY program is designed for students who have not completed high school or need to take basic skills courses along with their technical courses.

At JCTC, the AOKY program is available for students interested in earning a college certificate in Allied Health, Automotive Technology, or Computer Information Technologies (A+ certification).

Students in the program enroll in a College and Career Ready class with an adult education instructor to get the math, reading and/or math skills  they need to be successful in their technical courses.  Additionally, students work with a Success Coach and a Career Coach for assistance with:

  • enrolling in Accelerating Opportunity
  • applying for financial aid
  • program orientation and requirements
  • academic advising and planning
  • information on relevant workshops and special events
  • developing plans for students to meet their goals
  • campus and community referrals
  • resume writing and job search activities
  • career exploration and counseling
  • job referrals

 

For more information, contact Gina Embry at (502) 213-5163 or gina.embry@kctcs.edu.

 

 

 

Cradle to Career AmeriCorps VISTA Positions Available

Mayor Greg Fischer has announced the launch of the Cradle to Career AmeriCorps VISTAs program that brings 36 new VISTA positions dedicated to eliminating barriers that interfere with lifelong learning and success. These VISTAs will commit to performing a year of service at a partner site in Louisville and will implement key projects and programs linked to the Cradle to Career pipeline.

Partner Organizations include the Louisville Free Public Library, Jefferson County Public Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana, StageOne Family Theater, 55,000 Degrees, Jefferson Community and Technical College, KentuckianaWorks, Degrees Work, Louisville Metro Government, Greater Louisville Project, 15,000 Degrees, and the Louisville Urban League.

 

What Our VISTAs Have to Say

  • “The summer I spent with Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods through AmeriCorps helped engage my passion for Louisville and narrow my focus on improving Louisville for all citizens into a potential career.”-Laura Hammer, VISTA Summer Associate
  • “For my year of service, I am working with 55,000 Degrees as their Outreach Coordinator. Upon accepting this position, I had no idea what to expect, but in this short time I can honestly say it’s been nothing short of amazing: from being able to network and make great connections, to enhancing professional skills that will be useful in all of my future endeavors.” -Indigo Cornelison, 55K VISTA
  • ” I was still trying to find my purpose in life, but with joining AmeriCorps VISTA, I believe I have.  I wanted an opportunity to expand my skills as a professional and help my community here in Louisville.”-LuTisha Buckner, LFPL VISTA

 

Joining Our VISTA Team

We’re actively recruiting motivated and passionate individuals to join our VISTA team either by performing a summer or full-year of service. VISTAs receive benefits like a monthly living allowance, housing allowance, end of service award, YPAL membership, and health coverage to help support them during their period of service.

If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for these positions, visit www.ctocvistas.org or contact Ayla Murrell at amurrell0013@kctcs.edu for more information.

 

Employed Drop-Outs

Approximately 30% of young people (16 to 18 years) who have dropped out of high are working, according to a recent study by the Urban Institute. While the report indicates it is difficult to know whether these young workers left school to help support their families or they entered the labor market after dropping out, it does shed light on the demographic characteristics of these young workers.

More importantly, this report identifies possible strategies for re-engaging employed young people in school. Policy makers and educators could:

  • Create part-time or flexible school schedules. Approximately half of youth work fewer than 40 weeks per year and an average of 31 hours per week when working. A part-time, virtual or flexible school schedule would greatly benefit these working youth.
  • Assist families to access services. Youth in low-income families who do not access TANF, SSI, SNAP or Medicare or who have limited education are more likely to be working. Community programs that assist adult family members with employment, education and public assistance services can help youth stay in school.
  • Link youth with career-pathway jobs. Develop opportunities for young people to get part-time entry-level positions that provide viable job skills that can lead to higher paying jobs and encourage continued education.

Brookings Report: Unemployment Among Louisville’s Young Adults

“An increasingly diverse younger generation will make up a growing share of the workforce. Improving the educational and employment outcomes of blacks and Hispanics is critical to maintaining a skilled and competitive labor force”.

A report issued July 2015 by the Brookings Institute outlines the employment status of young adults in Louisville and Chicago, calling attention to the increasingly urgent need to address the skills gaps for the emerging workforce.  Partnerships between employers, educators, and community organizations that build strong pathways for Louisville’s young people could address the skills gap. Read the report…

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