Content categorized as Education

Council adds 400 housing vouchers to budget in first vote

The D.C. Council took the first vote on next year’s budget, adding money for 400 housing vouchers and an expansion of the earned income tax credit.

Only for a short time

Jaqueline Turner writes about metro prices and how they affect low-income communities.

Surrounding my sound with elementals

Levester Green shares his experience with making music and working with others.

Be careful how you treat your guests

Jeffery J. Carter writes about a spiritual experience he had and how important it was that grace and kindness are shown to others.

How COVID-19 has changed learning

Michele Rochon encourages students and parents to remain positive in the face of Covid-19 education changes.

Thanks and gratitude

Sheila White expresses her thanks to Street Sense Media and her customers for their support.

Howard University #BlackburnTakeover occupation is about more than just housing

Students, alumni and faculty are calling for the university to cancel its housing contract with Corvias, but the student occupation of Blackburn University Center is about more than housing conditions.

As classes start, air conditioning and filters fail in DC public schools

Schools in all wards were without proper ventilation systems. Parents took matters into their own hands, providing different services to alleviate worries about spreading COVID-19.

How universities in DC are spending their higher education emergency relief funds

Universities across the District have used their federal coronavirus relief dollars in different ways. While most have used the money to pay down student tuition balances and recover lost revenue, some schools used it to buy and install new air filtration systems and pay for licenses for Zoom.

Millions in funding set to flood digital inclusion projects, but advocates say the specific spending is not data-driven

The mayor’s budget includes a major influx in digital inclusion funds after the pandemic worsened digital inequity. 

Playtime Project expands to bring fun and support to homeless families in Prince George’s County

The Playtime Program, a D.C.-based nonprofit, is expanding its partnership with shelters to bring programming for children experiencing homelessness to families in Maryland.

Little Free Library wants to diversify its books

The Little Free Library system is about to become more diverse in D.C. The Wisconsin-based nonprofit behind the book-sharing boxes plans to provide 5,000 books to 21 new locations spread throughout the city that highlight the experiences of people who are BIPOC and identify as LGBTQ+.

DC residents owe the highest student loan debt per capita in the US. Councilmembers asked the federal government to cancel it

Among a tripling in national student loan debt from $600 billion in 2008 to over $1.7 trillion last year, D.C. residents lead the nation in debt, with the average borrower burdened with a whopping $60,651. In response, the D.C. Council has joined a growing chorus of cities asking the Biden Administration for debt relief.

Look at This a Street Sense Media Podcast: Episode Two

Sheila White has been able to turn her life around thanks to the classes and connections she found working as a Street Sense vendor in… Read more »

College students overlooked in measurements of hunger, housing insecurity, and poverty

Three in five college students in the United States faced problems like housing insecurity or hunger in 2020. Despite their effort to receive a higher education, many students are neglected by their institutions and the government in terms of basic needs. Strides are being made across the US by students and nonprofits to combat these issues.

This program helps teen parents stay on track for graduation, and for life afterward

For over two decades, the New Heights program has played a fundamental role for teenage parents in D.C. Still, the program faces instability due to multiple proposed budget cuts and reducing the staff size.

Changing people’s lives one bird at a time: Rodney Stotts uses falconry to reach youth

Rodney Stotts, a falconer in the DMV, uses his birds to educate young people beyond the classroom – which the education system desperately needs during the COVID-19 pandemic as children struggle with mental health.

Power

I get my power from learning,
from different Black leaders in this world.

Community organizations face difficulties providing vulnerable children with wellness support

Community organizations are trying to help children and families in need but have limited resources

With a return to limited in-person learning, some DC families see hope while others remain wary

A month into DCPS reopening schools for in-person learning, low-income parents remain conflicted. Homeless families are experiencing worse circumstances so they are a priority group for students returning.