Date

5-2026

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Collaborative Health and Human Services

Abstract

Unhoused youth experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism, heightened by lack of support and student engagement. The project objective was to improve school attendance in the participants and see a positive shift in student engagement. This took place at the Family Resource Center at Sherwood Elementary in Salinas, California. The participants involved in the program were 19 6th-grade girls, with 13 of those being youth facing some form of housing insecurity issue. The program consisted of 9 sessions teaching leadership skills as well as allowing students to work as a team and share their experiences with other unhoused students. The majority of participants showed a higher school attendance rate after ending the program as opposed to before starting the program. Participants demonstrated higher levels of excitement towards attending school, with 18/19 participants answering that the program made them more excited to come to school. Participants also demonstrated higher willingness to participate and share their experiences with the group as accounted by their growth and responses from their Pre and Post assessments. These findings highlight the importance of creating tailored spaces for vulnerable populations and the positive impact that can have on them.

Download

Share

COinS