Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP)

Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP)

Homeless Awareness Week: November 15 – 21, 2009

“STEP is always there when the world feels like it is collapsing on my shoulders.
I was ready to give up on high school…it was just too much to be an adult and a child while maintaining
a social life. Then STEP came and now school is a breeze.” --Student Testimonial (Read More)

Scavenger Hunt Planned in Recognition of Homeless Awareness Week:

TCAPS’ STEP Program to Benefit
On Saturday, November 14^th, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Third Level Crisis Intervention Center will sponsor a Scavenger Hunt to benefit Traverse City Area Public Schools’ Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) and other Homeless Youth Initiative Collaborating Partners. Community members are invited to participate in the scavenger hunt in recognition of Homeless Awareness Week, November 15 – 21. Participants will be provided with a list of items that they must locate. Each item has a point value. Prizes will be given to the team with the most points at the end of the hunt and for the individual and team who raise the most money for the Homeless Youth Initiative.

Registration for the scavenger hunt is $25.00 per person or $100.00 for a team of four to six people. All proceeds raised will go to the Collaborating Partners of the Homeless Youth Initiative, which includes TCAPS’ STEP Program. Registration will be from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. at Studio 7 Arts, 225 West Fourteenth Street.

The scavenger hunt will be held outside, please dress accordingly. Additional points can be earned by bringing in any of on the following suggested items:

New Clothing: assorted sizes of men and women’s socks, under clothes, mittens, hats, scarves, rain ponchos, hooded sweatshirts, or gift cards to department stores
Personal Items: shampoo, soap, deodorant, mouthwash, hairbrushes, combs, face wash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste
Household Items: washcloths, hand, bath and dish towels, laundry baskets, coffee mugs, cups, dishes, blankets
School and Art Supplies: notebooks, pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue, etc.
Nonperishable Food Items: granola bars, cracker packs and other individual serving “street food,” baby food, fast food gift cards
Miscellaneous Items: backpacks, pup tents, camping supplies, diapers, BATA bus passes, gas cards

Please contact Third Level Crisis Intervention Center at (213) 922-4800 or www.thirdlevel.org for more information or to register for the scavenger hunt.

What is STEP?

The current economic climate in the State of Michigan and across the country has raised uncertainties for families. Job losses, buy-outs, rising costs of living, and sudden loss of housing are all having a greater impact on families. Families who were previously managing sufficiently, may now be finding it more challenging financially to make ends meet. If you find yourself in a situation where you are experiencing a loss of housing, your student(s) may be eligible for assistance through TCAPS’ Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP).

STEP is a free program offered by Traverse City Area Public Schools that provides supportive education-related services to eligible students who have lost permanent housing due to foreclosure, eviction, or reasons related to economic hardship. The goal of the program is to ensure school stability, remove barriers to full participation in their education, and support academic achievement while children are in residential transition.

In 2008-2009, Traverse City Area Public Schools’ Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) identified over 500
TCAPS students in grades PreK-12 who qualified as “in residential transition” under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
In the first six weeks of the current school year, STEP has served over 200 eligible students throughout the district’s elementary,
middle, and high schools.

Any student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate overnight residence is eligible. Students may be found living in the following situations:

In a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground
Temporarily sharing the housing of friends or family (“doubled-up”)
Unaccompanied youth living on their own, without a parent or guardian
Inadequate/substandard accommodations, abandoned buildings, or on the street
Students who are couch surfing, living temporarily with friends
Foster care, less than six months in same placement

Some common signs that a student may be experiencing homelessness are:

Irregular attendance
History of attending different schools
Poor health/nutrition
Inadequate seasonal clothing
Poor hygiene
Not ready for class
High anxiety, depression, fatigue

In Michigan, adults and children in families account for 52% of the total homeless population. This number may be under reported and not include families who are doubled up or living with friends and relatives due to economic hardship.

Students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate overnight residence have the right to:

Enroll in and attend school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
Continue in the school attended before experiencing loss of housing, or the school last attended.
Receive transportation assistance to the school of origin, if feasible.
Enroll in school, even if proof of a permanent address cannot be provided.
Enroll in and attend school while the school arranges for the transfer of a birth certificate, or school and immunization records.
Enroll in and attend school while a dispute over enrollment is being resolved.
Receive school meal programs and Title I services as needed.

Student achievement remains a top priority for Traverse City Area Public Schools. We want all our families to know about and be able to access programs and services that are available to support your student’s learning and well-being.

Please contact the STEP Coordinator at 933-8991 or 933-8976 for assistance in determining your child’s eligibility for STEP services.

Learn more about the STEP Program by viewing the PowerPoint below: