Poverty and homelessness

 

This photo of a homeless man shows how difficult life is for people living in poverty. This would be true for students in our schools as well as adults.

Image from Pixabay.

 

The problem of poverty is one that affects thousands of school children in the U.S. Many children do not have a home or their basic needs satisfied. This can often have a bad effect on their education. Documentaries, such as The Homestretch (2014), and articles on poverty and homelessness, are meant to let readers and viewers into the lives of people who are struggling with poverty and homelessness so that the situations of these individuals can be better understood. One theme that emerges from watching the film and reading about these issues is that people who do not experience poverty themselves have no idea what it is like. Another theme is that people who live in poverty or are homeless have dreams for a better future just like many other people who are not in their situation.

People who do not experience poverty do not know what it is like to live in poverty. Cliburn (2019) explains that the Westran School District in Missouri had their teachers and staff participate in a simulation to raise awareness about child poverty. In this simulation, participants were given some fake money and asked to complete tasks with it. Those who could not complete all the tasks were not given a home or food within the simulation. The district held this simulation to show that not everyone has the same advantages in life as others, and that life is extremely difficult for those who are dealing with poverty and homelessness.

One book that captures this theme is How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis. Riis (1889) documents the misery of America’s poor in industrial revolution era America. He even uses photography which was new for the time. He chose the title for his book because he knew that there were many Americans who lived well and had no idea how bad it was for other people. This is similar to the struggles that many poor kids are going through today.

Another theme that emerges when studying poverty and homelessness is that students living in poverty still have dreams for a brighter future. In The Homestretch, DeMare, Kelly, and Taber (2014) show that Roque (Rocky) had a dream of studying either psychology or theatre arts in college. The fact that he was undocumented and living in the house of one of his teachers did not prevent him from dreaming of a better future. Another student, Anthony, also dreamed of a better future that included custody of his young son (DeMare, Kelly, & Taber, 2014).

Shapiro (2019) explains that 114,000 students in NYC are homeless. According to Shapiro (2019), school is the most stable place in the lives of students who live in poverty. In the song, Stand by Me, Ben E. King (1961) asks his loved one to stand by him. Similarly, there is a need for educators to stand by children who are in poverty so that they can achieve their dreams. The teacher in The Homstretch (DeMare, Kelly, & Taber, 2014) was one such individual.

 The problems of poverty and homelessness affect many school children in the U.S. These problems had an adverse effect on people back when Jacob Riis was living, and they continue to create challenges for people today. Our society should work to solve the problems of poverty and homelessness because they are extremely serious issues that impede the ability of children of all ages to acquire a good education.

 

References

Cliburn. E. (2019). Westran teachers, staff participate in poverty simulation. Moberly Monitor Index. 

De Mare, A., Kelly, K., & Taber, K. (Producers), & De Mare, A., & Kelly, K. (Directors). (2014). The homestretch [Streaming video]. United States: Bullfrog Films.

King, B (1961). Stand by me.

Riis, J (1889). How the other half lives: Studies among the tenements. Scribner’s Magazine.  

Shapiro, E (2019, November). 114,000 students in N.Y.C. are homeless. These two let us into their lives. New York Times.