Region 4
Region 4 is very diverse in nature. It encompasses urban, suburban, and
rural counties with a population of more than 2.3 million. Nine counties are
served by Region 4 which encompass 133 school districts and 686 schools. The
poverty rate in this region ranges from 9 percent to 18 percent. 96,920
families receive food stamps and 52,945 families have single female heads of
households. The geographical area covers 6,940 square miles.
The established Allegheny County Homeless
Children’s Initiative has taken a leadership role for Region 4, with the
cooperation and collaboration of Westmoreland Intermediate Unit and Intermediate
Unit #1. The goal of Pennsylvania' Education
for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program in Region 4 is; to
provide educational and enrichment programs that encourage school attendance,
reduce disruptions, and to facilitate services that are linked to the
challenging state performance standards will now be extended to include all of
the homeless children and youth in Region 4.
Some of the Region 4’s activities include the
following:
- Provide enrichment programs for homeless children
and youth, during non-school time.
- Train and supervise college students in service
learning projects to serve in shelter sites as tutors/homework helpers.
- Establish an emergency school fund for
school-related items to address the stigma of homeless, (being different from
regular students) (ex. school supplies, uniforms, pictures, and fees).
- Encourage school attendance on a regular basis
through perfect attendance awards and monthly attendance shelter reports.
- Provide summer educational enrichment programs
through mini-grants to fund family shelters’ summer projects for homeless
families.
- Provide parent workshops on enrollment,
attendance, dress code, rights of homeless students, etc.
- Assist local districts to create and/or revise
policies and procedures to eliminate barriers for homeless children and youth.
- Raise the capacity of local school districts
(registrar, school attendance officer, school liaison) to identify homeless
students (both sheltered and unsheltered).
- Raise the capacity of shelter staff to recognize
the importance of immediate school enrollment.
- Educate the school transportation departments on
the rights of homeless students.
- Maintain an emergency fund to assist for the
provision of transportation on a short-term basis until transportation can be
worked out with the local districts to avoid delay in school attendance.
For additional information on the services provided in
Region 4, please contact:
Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3
Nicole Anderson
Regional
Coordinator
Telephone: 412-394-5894
Email:
nicole.anderson@aiu3.netTracey Finn
Community Liaison
Telephone: 412-394-1351
Email:
tracey.finn@aiu3.net