2009 Student Services Symposium: Supporting Students to Success!
May 19, 2009
Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square

Plan now to attend the 2009 Student Services Symposium, "Supporting Students to Success" at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, May 19, 2009. Participants will learn about new research and proven strategies that support success for all students. The Symposium is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in partnership with the Center for Schools and Communities.

Click here for more information and to register online.

Integrating Service Learning and the Homeless Children’s Initiative

On Thursday, March 12, 2009, Beth Rothermel, PAHCI Region 2 Coordinator, Berks County Intermediate Unit and Sonia Pitzi, PAHCI Region 3 Coordinator, Lincoln Intermediate Unit provided general information about Pennsylvania’s Homeless Children’s Initiative, including homeless legislation and requirements regarding enrollment of and services for homeless students.  Specific strategies were shared for addressing the needs of homeless students, as well as ideas for serving homeless students through service learning activities.  Participants also explored ways to engage homeless students in service learning activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF format)

View the recorded online presentation

(Note: In order to view the recorded presentation, you must have the Elluminate Live! Java application downloaded to your personal computer. There is no cost to download the software. To configure your computer, visit the Elluminate support page at: http://www.elluminate.com/support/)


Region #6 of the Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative (PAHCI) asked school districts from the coverage area to put together No Sew Blankets.  These blankets were then donated to eight homeless shelters in Armstrong, Blair, Cambria, Indiana and Jefferson counties to benefit homeless children in the region. Click here to read more.

At the October 9, 2008 statewide conference on Homelessness, Meeting the Challenge:

Educating Homeless Children in Pennsylvania, eight school district homeless liaisons were honored for their tireless work with and on behalf of homeless students. Each of these individuals were recommended as a School District Homeless Liaison of the Year by the PAHCI Regional and Site Coordinators to represent exemplary service to homeless students within the PAHCI regions across the state. Click here to read more about these individuals and their unique contributions to the issue of homelessness.

Wendy Kinnear, PAHCI Region 5 Regional Coordinator, is the secretary of the Mercer County Housing Coalition and a member of the Coalition’s Homeless Awareness Subcommittee. The Coalition designated November as Homeless Awareness Month, and designed an essay contest for Mercer County students in grades 7 -10 in order to promote awareness regarding homelessness within the county. Click here to read the winning essay 

Announcement from The Pennsylvania Department of Education

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is pleased to announce the release of the
2008-2011 Pennsylvania Homeless Children's Initiative Request for Application.