I Will Be Your Voice For Student Success
A Podcast on Student Well-Being, Stability, and School Success
Every student brings unique strengths and assets into the classroom. What does it take for every student to succeed – especially those facing the greatest challenges?
Formerly I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope, this podcast has expanded to explore a broader range of topics affecting students and families. Join Youth Development staff at the Center for Schools and Communities as they explore practices, programs, and partnerships shaping outcomes for students and their families.
Featuring voices and stories from education, human services, community organizations, and advocates, this podcast examines topics including housing instability, foster care, out-of-school time, school mobility, higher education, career readiness, school climate, mental health, and access to opportunity.
Each episode delivers practical insights, real-world strategies, and powerful stories that highlight how we can remove barriers and create pathways for student success.
Subscribe and listen to learn more and help amplify solutions that support the whole child – and the systems that surround them.
This monthly podcast is produced in partnership with
- The Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (PA ECYEH) Program.
- The Pennsylvania Education Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care Program
- The Pennsylvania Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (PA ELECT) Program
- The Pennsylvania Migrant Education (PA MEP) Program
- The Pennsylvania Refugee Education (PA REP) Program
- The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant
#IWillBeYourVoice
I Will Be Your Voice For Student Success
Introduction - I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This episode was produced under our previous focus on students experiencing homelessness.
Welcome to our new podcast, “I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope.” Daily, we have conversations with practitioners and thought leaders in the field. We want to bring some of what we are learning - both successes and challenges - to help you better serve your community. The “I Will Be Your Voice” podcast will amplify the voices and stories of students experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania and beyond. Please read the transcript.
Resources:
Introduction - I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope Transcript
Melissa Turnpaugh:
Hi, and welcome to our new podcast, I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope. Daily, we're having conversations with practitioners and thought leaders in the field. We want to be able to bring some of what we're learning, both successes and challenges in order to help you better serve your community. The I will Be Your Voice podcast will amplify voices and stories of students experiencing homelessness across Pennsylvania and beyond. I am one of your hosts, Melissa Turnpaugh, a youth development coordinator.
Matt Butensky:
And I'm your co-host, Matt Butensky, project manager with Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness program, often referred to as E-C-Y-E-H or ECHYEH. More than 30,000 children in youth experience homelessness in Pennsylvania and homelessness poses a significant barrier to succeed in school. Join us as we dive deeper into resources, partnerships, and best practices that help children and youth thrive in school and life. And along the way, experts, homeless liaisons, service providers, and those experiencing homelessness will share untold stories to lift the voices of these students and families.
Melissa Turnpaugh:
Many of our listeners play a role implementing the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This authorizes Pennsylvania's ECYEH program. Through this podcast, we will also share stories of how schools are innovatively serving students through the McKinney-Vento law.
Matt Butensky:
Please join us for our first podcast episode of I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope, as we meet with Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, President of the National Coalition for the Homeless Board. Dr. Shankar-Brown will share the effects of homelessness on students and the importance of equity and healing centered practices to address educational gaps. After listening to each episode, we hope you feel more empowered and inspired in your work. Thank you for listening.
