Academic Lifeline Transforms the Lives of Bay Area’s Unhoused Students

Ayana was five years old and living with her mother and baby sister in a family shelter in Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood when she first connected with the volunteers at Community Education Partnerships, a nonprofit dedicated to providing academic support and resources to students experiencing homelessness and housing instability across the San Francisco Bay Area.

“She was a ball of personality – she had energy and curiosity,” remembers Beth Miller, senior director of programs. “She also had really big feelings and was easily frustrated.”

Academically and emotionally struggling, Ayana had been placed in the lowest reading group in her kindergarten class. School often felt overwhelming, and her intense emotions frequently led to meltdowns, especially when she felt uncertain about her learning, Miller says. But with the support of Community Education Partnerships, Ayana’s path began to change.

Founded in 2010, Community Education Partnerships confronts the significant challenges faced by homeless students through personalized tutoring, mentoring, and group programs. The nonprofit provides hands-on academic support as well as essential resources such as backpacks, school supplies, books, and extracurricular opportunities.

By meeting students where they are and partnering with shelters and transitional housing, the organization creates accessible and consistent educational environments that are otherwise often missing in these children’s lives. With a small staff of 11 and over 100 dedicated volunteer tutors and mentors – ranging from high school students to retirees – Community Education Partnerships works to improve academic outcomes for over 500 students annually who navigate the challenges of homelessness and poverty.

Its cornerstone program is one-on-one tutoring and mentoring, pairing each student from pre-K through 12th grade with an adult tutor. For many children, this connection becomes a stable and positive relationship that can last for years. Additionally, their group programs, situated at learning centers inside family shelters, provide structured opportunities for students to engage in STEM, literacy, and college and career exploration activities. 

Students like Ayana, who experience housing insecurity, often face difficulties with focus, self-confidence, and emotional regulation, leading to some of the poorest educational outcomes, including low literacy and graduation rates.

“Unhoused and unstably housed students often have the greatest needs but, also, are often the least served in the public school system,” says Erica Mohan, founder of Community Education Partnerships.

Mohan highlights that with 10,000 homeless students in the Bay Area, the demand for support is significant. Many of these students remain unnoticed as they live in shelters, couch surf, or reside in
overcrowded homes.

With a holistic approach that goes beyond academics, Community Education Partnerships works to stabilize students’ lives, nurture their talents, and build their confidence, empowering them to shine despite the obstacles of housing instability.

In Ayana’s case, her tutor helped her improve her reading and math skills and taught her techniques to manage her emotions, building resilience and self-confidence. By the middle of first grade, Ayana had moved up to the top reading group in her class and was testing above grade level in math.

She became involved in many of the nonprofit’s programs, found excitement in being a big sister, and even started a pretend YouTube channel where she walked viewers through science experiments she did with her tutor, demonstrating her growing confidence and enthusiasm for learning.

“We are very proud of her,” Miller says. “She’s an enthusiastic learner, has great social skills now, friends at school, and lots of good friends in
the shelter.”