PreK-12 (March 2025)

The McKinney-Vento “Elevator Pitch”: A Guide to Engaging School Staff and Community Partners

Quickly and effectively raise awareness about student homelessness. This guide helps school staff and community partners craft a powerful McKinney-Vento elevator pitch to increase identification, referrals, and support.

Download the Guide

Students experiencing homelessness are often invisible within schools and communities. This invisibility makes it difficult for them to access the resources they need to survive and thrive. School district homeless liaisons bridge this gap by identifying students experiencing homelessness and connecting them with services – but homeless liaisons can’t do it alone. 

School staff and community partners are essential ‘front-line’ observers who often have the first opportunity to notice and refer students experiencing homelessness. A compelling 30-90 second elevator pitch enables liaisons to quickly convey essential information, overcome misconceptions about homelessness, and motivate specific actions.

Why It Matters

Effective elevator pitches lead to better identification, increased awareness, more resources, and stronger support systems for students experiencing homelessness. These improved supports enable consistent access to education—a critical strategy not only to address current homelessness but to prevent it from recurring in the future.

First Step: Tailor Your Elevator Pitch to Your Key Audiences

  1. School Staff
  2. Community Partners

How To Tailor Your Elevator Pitch

School StaffCommunity Partners
Focus on:Signs of homelessness + simple referral processMutual benefits + specific partnership requests
Get their attention with:Local student data + classroom impact (absenteeism, behavior challenges, academic performance, etc.)Homelessness data and trends +
service gaps
Success looks like:More student referralsPartnerships with clear roles and additional services

Structure Your Elevator Pitch

  1. The Hook: Lead with compelling statistics to establish urgency
    (Tip: Use district-specific or local data from SchoolHouse Connection’s Child & Youth Homelessness Data Profiles or your own LEA’s more recent data.)
  2. The Context: What is the McKinney-Vento Act and the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program?
  3. The “Why You?”: Making it relevant to the audience
  4. The “Now What?”: Providing clear next steps

Put Your Pitch Into Action

School StaffCommunity Partners
The  Hook• “200 students in our district experienced homelessness last year — a 15% increase.”
• “20% of our homeless students are ‘doubled-up’, and don’t have adequate nighttime residence”
• “Homeless students are absent 3x more often than their peers.”		• “Half of the families you serve likely have school-age children experiencing housing instability.”
• “Our district identified 200 homeless students last year – a 15% increase.”
The Context• “Federal law requires us to identify and support students without a fixed, regular, or adequate place to stay.”
• “This includes doubled-up or staying temporarily with others, motels, cars, and shelters.”
• “As a homeless liaison, I’m your direct resource for these students.”		• “The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program is the only federal program supporting more than 1.5 million students experiencing homelessness across the U.S.”
• “Through the McKinney-Vento Act, we can direct students experiencing homelessness to the critical services you offer.”
The “Why You?”• “You’re often the first to notice the signs: frequent absences, same clothes, falling asleep, anxiety.”
• “Your relationship with students makes you our most valuable identification tool.”		• “You’re already serving these families, but they may not be getting school supports.”
• “Our partnership can create a seamless support system without duplicating efforts.”
The “Now What?”• “Take my card — I will respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.”
• “Here’s a flyer with more information and my contact info.”
• “Scan the QR code on posters around school to fill out a form that lets me know to follow up on a student’s situation.”		• “Can we set up a 15-minute call next week to formalize our referral process?”
• “Would you please display these McKinney-Vento brochures in your offices?”
• “I’d like to invite you to our resource fair on [date] — are you interested?”

Sample Pitches

For School Staff:

  • Our district identified 200 students experiencing homelessness last year — up 15% from the previous year. Most are in ‘doubled-up’ situations and are easy to miss. 
  • These students face unique barriers that impact attendance, behavior, and academic performance. Federal law requires us to identify and support them.
  • You’re often the first to notice signs like frequent absences, falling asleep in class, or mentions of moving between homes.
  • If you notice these things, scan this QR code to complete a form. I’ll follow up within 24 hours to determine eligibility and provide support.

For Community Partners:

  • Our district identified 200 homeless students last year – a 15% increase.
  • These students need coordinated support between schools and community organizations like yours to succeed academically and stabilize their living situations.
  • Your organization often sees these families first, before they connect with school resources. Together, we can create a seamless support system.
  • Can we set up a formal two-way referral process? I’d like to meet next week to establish protocols and discuss your participation in our spring resource fair.

Resources

Top 3 Essential Tools:
When You Need More: