This collection is part of the Complicating the Narratives project.
Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 allows the U.S. Department of Education to provide states, including D.C., funding to support equal access to public education for homeless children and their families. McKinney-Vento dollars are often scarce, so other solutions, like The American Rescue Plan and creative efforts from educators, are also helping students and families in need access the necessary resources to get an education.
Read MoreThe Eden Village tiny home community helps to provide people without homes a place to live. Tiny homes communities allow municipalities to build more dense and affordable housing for the people who need it most. All the homes in the village are “permanent supportive housing,” meaning residents may live in their homes for the remainder of their lives as long as they follow the rules set forth by the community.
Read MoreWhen an offer to buy the Harmony Place mobile home community in Alexandria, Virginia, came in, the residents worked with a nonprofit to make a counterproposal in an effort to turn it into a co-op. The seller did not accept the counterproposal, but it is now considered a template for other communities looking to do something similar.
Read MoreSusan Miller Dorsey High School is the first school in California to pilot a new advanced placement African American studies course, which covers the history of Black social movements, societal achievements, and in the United States. Students in the course say it has exposed them to deeper knowledge about their communities and helped them express themselves.
Read MoreThe Homecoming Project helps provide housing for formerly incarcerated people by matching those in need with homeowners offering spare bedrooms. Since starting in 2018, The Homecoming Project has placed nearly 100 people in host homes and has helped those individuals connect with employment and long-term housing.
Read MoreA pilot program in California allows community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees programs in areas such as health information management and interaction design. In 2016-17, nearly three quarters of graduates from the pilot degree programs finished their studies without taking any loans, and about 80 percent found work within three months of graduating.
Read MoreCommunity-based intervention programs such as Cure Violence in Grand Rapids, Mich. focus on strengthening collaboration among different organizations and leveraging outreach workers with existing relationships in the community. Cure Violence's south service area saw an 11.5% decrease in violent crimes after the program was implemented.
Read MoreThis collection is part of the Complicating the Narratives project.