Project HOPE News

Travel Mini-grant for Virginia school divisions Deadline July 1, 2008

Grant Applications for Programs Involving Homeless Children and Youth (for the 2008-2011 award cycle)
Superintendent's Memo Administrative #3, February 8, 2008 Deadline June 30, 2008
Proposal Packet (Word)

Who is your local liaison for homeless education?
The liaison listing is posted on the Virginia Handbook page of this site (see gold bar on the left) and is updated regularly.

Resources for Crisis Response How to respond to traumatic events in your schools and communities

Professional Development

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is offering online webinars for local homeless education liaisons. Visit NCHE's webinar page or call 1-800-308-2145 for more information.

McKinney-Vento 101: Knowing the Law
These 1.5 hour sessions cover the key features of the school division's requirements under McKinney-Vento. See the webinar page for schedule and more details.

Identifying, Engaging, and Serving Unaccompanied Children and Youth
See the webinar page for schedule and registration.

Part 1: Support In School

• Identification
• Enrollment, including reporting requirements
• Engaging youth in school, including participation in athletics and extra-curricular activities and credit accrual/recovery

Part 2: Support Outside of School

• Financial aid for college
• Public benefits and housing
• Medical care and consent to treatment
• Immigration
• Child welfare
• Family law
• Juvenile justice

Part 3: Students with Special Needs

• The general special education process, including timelines and implementing IEPs for highly mobile students
• The role of response to intervention (RTI) and lack of instruction in the evaluation process
• Parents and surrogate parents
• IDEA Part C, early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities

NAEHCY's 20th Annual Conference
Making It Crystal Clear: A Commitment to Educating All Our Children and Youth
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
October 31-November 3, 2008

* More Professional Development Opportunities through the Virginia Department of Education

National Association of State Directors of Special Education has released Highly Mobile Children and Youth with Disabilities: Policies and Practices in Five States

The primary focus of this In-Brief Policy Analysis is on a subset of the population of mobile children—children with disabilities and their families who are highly mobile. The document begins with a background section that provides information about policies and practices developed for mobile children at the federal level. The second section is an analysis of interviews with five state directors of special education and their corresponding McKinney-Vento program coordinators regarding how states are addressing the needs of this population. Interviewees discussed causes of mobility; how they locate mobile children; the number of mobile children and costs of services; features of state programs under McKinney-Vento; how they track outcomes; challenges they have encountered; and policy recommendations.

Extra Mile Award honors those who go out of their way to make a difference in the lives of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Read about past recipients.

Welcome to the Shelter Coloring Book for Children by Christy Cassagnol and Matt Leunig.