As a shelter provider specifically for families with children, Hildebrand recognizes the critical importance of ensuring that young people experiencing homelessness have the support and resources needed to stabilize, recover, and thrive beyond their experience of homelessness.
Through the SSEI, Hildebrand supports students and their parents to access vital resources to support their school success and wellbeing. As part of the SSEI, families work with Hildebrand staff to connect with school guidance counselors and homeless student liaisons, participate in IEP meetings, enroll in summer programs and after school enrichment programs, access tutoring and mentoring programs, apply for trade school and college, and more.
In November of 2020—during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic—Hildebrand launched the SSEI as a temporary emergency response designed to prevent learning loss, foster students’ wellbeing, and support academic success. However, the initiative was highly successful, and Hildebrand decided to continue the program in order to provide ongoing educational and social-emotional learning support to students living in its shelters.
The SSEI is implemented by Hildebrand’s permanent programmatic staff in collaboration with a licensed social worker and student interns from local colleges and universities. Hildebrand staff and interns work directly with families to identify students’ strengths as well as areas they could use additional support, and they work together with families to access the support and resources they need to succeed both in and out of school.
Hildebrand works together with our community partners to support students holistically. Our partners include:
- Local Schools: Hildebrand has partnerships with the local school systems and their homeless student liaisons, which provide school-based support for students and their families.
- Summer Programs: Hildebrand works with summer camps and enrichment programs so that children and teens in shelter can participate in summer activities.
- Healthcare Providers: Hildebrand partners with local community health centers and mental health service providers, such as Cambridge Health Alliance and the Dimock Center, to connect students with accessible, culturally-responsive care.
- In-Kind Providers: Hildebrand partners with organizations that provide in-kind donations to support students’ success, including fresh and nutritious food (e.g. Spoonfuls); clothing and backpacks (e.g. Cradles to Crayons); and menstrual products (e.g. Dignity Matters).
