The Homeless Education Network (HEN) is an alliance of community members working to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children and youth experiencing homelessness in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
The HEN plans events that bring together diverse stakeholders for mutual learning, resource-sharing, and advocacy to reduce the educational inequities caused by homelessness. We look at issues affecting youth of all ages – from 0 to 24 – as well as their parents, schools, and communities.
The HEN is independently managed by the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, which receives support from local foundations and the participation of over 200 regional stakeholders.
HEN Collaborative Impact Grant
The HEN Collaborative Impact Grant is a $15,000 grant, awarded annually to an agency seeking to develop or expand upon an educational project that meets the needs of students experiencing homelessness as defined by the McKinney Vento Act (i.e. including those living doubled up, couch surfing, etc.). HCEF accepts and reviews applications for the annual award starting February, until the application deadline on Friday, April 4, 2025. For the 2025 grant cycle, eligible applicants must:
- Actively participate in HCEF’s Homeless Education Network (HEN), or be willing to commit to active participation in the coming year;
- Have an annual operating budget under $2 million as of their most recent fiscal year;
- Include a plan to collaborate or build partnership with another agency or group.
Advocacy Corner
Since our inception in 1999, HCEF has focused on advocating for systemic change to improve the lives of young people experiencing homelessness. We collaborate with public agencies and elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure that decision makers hear our students’ voices and understand how they can enact legislative, policy, and process improvements to ensure more equitable education access for unstably housed students throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.
Current goals include:
- Securing a $10 million state investment dedicated to flexible educational support for students experiencing homelessness throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Advocating for state legislative reform to benefit children and youth experiencing homelessness and their families.
- Working with national partners to maintain and expand federal funding through the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program that ensures basic educational access for students experiencing homelessness.
Advocacy work is always a joint effort, and HCEF is proud to lead the statewide Pennsylvania Youth Homelessness Coalition and partner with numerous national organizations to meet these goals.
Since 2009, the network has attracted an increasingly diverse and action-oriented group of participants, including school districts, homeless service providers, government agencies (federal, state, and local), law enforcement officials, early childhood educators, advocacy groups, ministerium, and many different non-profit organizations.
The network is focused on Allegheny County, but organizations from surrounding areas are welcome to participate.
The Homeless Education Network plans events that help participants to more effectively understand, identify, and address the educational needs of the homeless youth and families they directly serve, including:
- Updating members on key policy, legislative, and funding issues that impact homeless youth
- Sharing new research, data, and best practices of homeless education
- Linking diverse stakeholders through purposeful discussions around topics of shared concern (ex: school social workers interfacing with police officers around issues of truancy)
- Increasing members’ awareness of local resources to support their clients
- Supporting members in the development of collaborative projects and initiatives
These objectives are met through quarterly network meetings and the annual Summit. Participants are surveyed regularly by HCEF staff to identify topics of interest and training needs. The HEN occasionally hosts special trainings and presentations at the request of its members.
HCEF currently looks at the following indicators to measure the success of the HEN:
- Value to Members: Members’ perceptions of the HEN’s impact on their knowledge base and professional competency
- Membership Base: Ability of HEN to expand and diversify its membership as well as retaining members over time
- Visibility: Ability of HEN to generate media coverage that raises the profile of homeless youth and their educational concerns
- Impact on Policy: Ability of HEN to directly influence legislation and public policy that positively impacts children and youth experiencing homelessness
The Homeless Education Network is rooted in a 2009 research report by Dr. Peter Miller and Dr. James Schreiber, both associate professors in the Duquesne University School of Education. The report investigated educational conditions and outcomes of homeless students in Allegheny County through surveys and focus groups with 150 parents and 40 staff members at 15 homeless housing agencies. The parents and staff members almost unanimously discussed a need for stronger connections among homeless families, schools, and community agencies.
HCEF responded to that call and secured seed funding from The Pittsburgh Foundation to hold a community summit to generate members. Since then, the network has grown steadily, with promising results.
Please check out the HCEF calendar for upcoming HEN meetings and events.
To recommend a topic or speaker for a future HEN meeting, or to inquire about making a presentation, please contact HCEF’s Director of Community Engagement.