Kara will address the growing concern of homelessness in Utah and nationwide, highlighting the alarming increase in family homelessness reported by the Utah Office of Homeless Services in January 2024. She will explore how homelessness affects students—leading to higher absenteeism, food insecurity, suicidal thoughts, poor academic performance, and significantly lower graduation rates. Emphasizing that youth without a high school diploma are at a 346% higher risk of experiencing homelessness in young adulthood, she will discuss how education can be a "silver bullet" to prevent homelessness and will challenge communities to rally together to support, teach, and nurture homeless students toward stability.
Kara Toone is a dedicated professional with the Davis Education Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the Davis School District. She oversees grant writing, student fundraising, employee giving campaigns, and contributes to research, data analysis, and policy development. Passionate about supporting students in need, Kara focuses on the Foundation's initiative to establish Teen Centers—resource hubs in high schools that provide homeless students with essential services like showers, laundry facilities, academic support, and guidance toward graduation and post-secondary success. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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