The Hope Center has released a very good video introduction to Student Basic Needs Insecurity. This would be am excellent resource to show to administrators, to policy makers, and to students themselves.
One of the leaders of the Hope Center says in the video that their goal is to change the narrative of who students are. Rather than the carefree dorm dwelling, football game going, spring break partiers so often portrayed in the media, so many students experience food or housing insecurity. They may have unreliable transportation or inadequate health care, or be unable to find affordable childcare for their class schedules. They may be unable to access mental health counseling when the stress feels overwhelming.
Those media portrayals of carefree students deepen the stigma of all of this. All of this hinders students' ability to just stay afloat in their courses. And all of this is a matter of public policy.
The Hope Center is going excellent work making the complicated lives of students more visible as they advocate for change. Take a look:
