Empower your pupils to put an end to homelessness
Your school community could join the fight for everyone's right to a safe home, using the resources and fundraising ideas below. Get involved today!
Fundraising challenge for pupils
100-100s fundraising challenge
Do your pupils have an idea that can turn £100 into £300, or even more? Let them put it to the test and help raise funds to end the housing emergency.
- Date: Any time
Resources for the classroom
Download and print everything you need for a range of classroom and wider school activities.
These resources will help your school community engage with Shelter's vital work and the issue of housing and homelessness. World Homelessness Day is on 10 October. That can be a good occasion for a special lesson about Shelter's work – but these resources will work at any time of year.
The resources are designed to work across KS1 & 2, with some being more suitable for KS3. You can adapt them to suit your specific context.
Fundraising with pupils
Fundraise on SuperKind, the world's only fundraising platform that can legally be used by under 18s.
Get startedGot questions about our resources, or want to request a speaker?
Get in touch with us by emailing schools@shelter.org.uk.
Is home affordable?
A guided activity to help students understand the experience of living on welfare benefits, specifically universal credit, and the real cost of living. You may want to prepare a couple of PowerPoint slides to accompany the resource and illustrate the activity for your class or small group.
Approximately 30 minutes.
Homes in the community
These resources explore what community means and open up the themes of affordability, space, conditions and neighbourhoods within your local area.
Approximately 45 minutes.
Needs and wants
What do people need to survive? What is a luxury? Does your class have different opinions about this? Use this resource to help start the conversation.
Approximately 30 minutes.
Design a shelter for...
Understanding the various types of homelessness and the experience of people sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation. This activity can be presented by drawing or writing ideas on the worksheet. Alternatively, it can be an outdoor activity with pupils using nature to create their home.
Approximately 30 minutes.
Reading for home
A resource to help you choose or recommend books that touch on some of the key issues in housing and homelessness. Use it to shape curriculum planning, or get a couple of these books for the library.
Stacking cups
A creative activity to help pupils understand how homelessness can happen, and the effects of a change of life circumstances. Reduce stigma and misconceptions around homelessness through the discussion pointers.
Approximately 30 minutes.
Text home
Suitable for slightly older children – responding to an imagined scenario where your friend has been evicted. What advice might you give? How might you offer support?
Approximately 20 minutes, or longer if you want to extend the conversation afterwards.
Acrostic worksheet
Encourage children and young people to think about words they associate with homelessness, housing and Shelter's work. Can you help them choose some hopeful words too?
Approximately 20 minutes.
Shelter website quiz
Several questions for your class to answer by researching on the Shelter website – can they find all the answers?
Approximately 25 minutes, including space for conversation and group work.
Rooftops drawing and discussion
Making use of Shelter's logo, give students space to be creative. Their drawings can generate good conversations about the nature of home, and how Shelter's work is part of ensuring there is a safe home for everyone.
Approximately 25 minutes, with the possibility to extend the conversation.
Would you rather?
Use this activity to help your group of children think about the impossible choices many homeless people face. It's a good idea to look up some regional statistics about the housing emergency on our website.
Approximately 30 minutes.