The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust’s Continuum of Care serves the community at large. Project UP-START is part of that Continuum, positioned under the Department of Title I Administration; UP-START is the Miami-Dade County Public School’s education program for youth living in transition. Project UP-START not only advocates on behalf of students dealing with unstable housing but also assists in identifying, enrolling, and monitoring the attendance of students living in transition, all the while helping to ensure academic success. In addition, Project UP-START students are enrolled in case management services, automatically receive free lunch, and become eligible for transportation to and from school.
M At Work sat down with Project UP-START’s Director of Community Outreach, Amy O. Christopoulos. Having just taken the reins, Amy shares the organization’s progress within MDCPS.
Amy, you are the new director of Project UP-START. Tell M At Work about your background and how it prepared you for this new role? Since you are new in this position, what surprised you about youth homelessness?
“The most significant surprise in working with our youth was their resiliency, especially with our Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY).
I have been an educator with MDCPS since 2007, teaching grades Pre-K to 12th grade. From Homestead to Aventura, I have taught and been an administrator in both affluent and TITLE I (high poverty) schools for over 13 years. As a result, I have seen the need of our homeless students firsthand. In addition, I worked as a school site admin at Chapman Partnership for three years, building a very close connection with our sheltered students.”
Project UP-START has collaborated with The Homeless Trust in creating a Homeless Sensitivity and Awareness Curriculum to help educate elementary and secondary students on the impacts of homelessness. In addition, public schools have designated UP-START Liaisons to help identify and procure services for students living in unstable housing.
So we asked Amy about the intersection between The Miami- Dade County Homeless Trust and Project UP-START?
“We have an excellent working relationship with The Homeless Trust to get families placed as soon as possible. When we are made aware that students’ families are unhoused and need shelter, we refer them to call the TRUST.”
We wondered how Project UP-START provides training to school counselors, school social workers, and all M-DCPS staff on the social and academic needs of UP-START students?
“We provide three and four-hour training sessions to MDCPS staff to assist them in identifying students in unstable housing. The training also includes information about Project UP-START’s services for students and their families.”
Project UP-START fosters collaborations amongst parents, families, schools, and the community to prevent our youth from being stigmatized or isolated due to their current living situation. Encouraging the academic success of students participating in the Project UP-START Program is vital to the approach, but what role do parents and family involvement play?
“We look at the students on a case-by-case basis. Often students are highly motivated to rise above their circumstances and maintain their grades, so we work with parents and caregivers to educate them on the school system’s policies and procedures. We provide training on FSA TESTING, iREADY scores, grades, graduation, and more!”
Amy, what opportunities exist for the public to get involved and support Project UP-START?
“Isn’t it incredible what we can accomplish when we all work together? The public is always welcome to make an in-kind donation or a financial, tax-free contribution to our foundation. In addition, we love when schools do a ‘collection drive’ for Project UP-START, which can include: socks, shoes, hygiene items, etc.”
Last but certainly not least, Amy, how do you see Project UP-START expanding in the coming years, and what steps are you taking to develop the program further?
“That’s a great question. We recently received a large grant from the United States Federal Government specifically for Project UP-START students. This funding will allow us to augment our staff, provide after-school tutoring programs, deliver more needed supplies to students, further equip school staff with additional training, and even supplement transportation needs with UBER/LYFT capabilities.”
Project UP-START equips students with after-school tutoring sessions and post-secondary educational guidance, counseling, and wraparound services for unaccompanied youth living without a parent or guardian and not in the foster care system.
Learn more about Project UP-START students’ eligibility criteria and the support services available to all students enrolled in the program by clicking here.
