Synergy in Schools

The Synergy In Schools (SIS) Program works directly with The School District of Philadelphia to help identify and support children and young people experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness under The McKinney- Vento Act. It was developed out of a growing need being addressed by the Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness program at The School District of Philadelphia where 40,000 youth were identified in 2022. These youth fall into the nuances of what homelessness looks like which historically has placed them in an invisible and drastically underserved population; they are in situations like couch surfing, doubled up, utilities disconnected from their home and other nuances. The key aspect of The McKinney- Vento Act is this experience is a result of hardship.

SIS was designed to connect with these youth that may have fallen in the cracks of the system by addressing their immediate needs. They accomplish this by taking an individualized approach through options/informal counseling. They also support in ways such as providing emergency supplies, and connecting to other resources by collaborating with other agencies.

There is a major need for these types of services especially for unaccompanied youth because they have either withdrawn from school entirely or are struggling with attendance and academic performance caused by living in survival mode. SIS knocks down the barriers by assisting with enrollment, transfers, clothing/uniform and connecting to tutoring services along with low barrier case management.