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Students present homelessness unit to Regional School District 08 board
Summary
Middle and high school students from the Inquiry Academy presented an interdisciplinary unit on homelessness, describing field trips, budgeting exercises and interviews with people with lived experience; the board heard student findings and community implications.
Students from the Regional School District 08 Inquiry Academy presented the findings of an interdisciplinary unit on homelessness to the board.
Student Celia opened the presentation: "My name is Celia and we will be presenting about homelessness," and described class work that combined math, English, science and social studies. Jackson summarized the research portion, telling the board: "One fact is 71,480 people are homeless in the US on a given night in January 2024," and said the class examined myths and local demographics. Jacqueline described challenges around food safety and nutrition, noting food deserts in Connecticut cities including Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven.
The students said the unit included a field trip to local arts venues, interviews with people who experienced homelessness and budgeting exercises that showed how difficult it is to live on minimum wage. Staff and board members asked questions about student findings and whether the experience had changed students' willingness to volunteer; students said the work had shifted their perspectives and inspired some to consider volunteerism.
The presentation was given during the student program spotlight; the board did not take action on the topic but commended the students for their work. The meeting packet and the students' slides were offered for board review, and the district noted community organizations that supported the unit during the presentation.
