After our last class discussion, and beginning to think about my teaching project for this class, I came to the question in my head about how it could be possible to change the out look that the younger generations have on homelessness. Because I believe that the change that is so desperately needed on the way the society views homelessness begins with the younger, more impressionable generation. The older people of our world already have their views and their opinions set in stone. I mean you can’t blame them! They’ve had a lot of time to form these ideas. And most people over the age of 40 have no interest in changing the way they view something.

But the younger generations are still impressionable, still able to be influenced in a new and radically different way. Their minds are still able to take in new ideas and form new opinions. But my question is how do we do that? How do we make a subject so complex as homelessness and its causes be able to be broken down into something a 10 or 12 year old would understand? How do we change their perception of those on the street?

It has also occurred to me that parents also have a big impact on their child’s views and opinions, so you may ask how you would create a bigger influence than that of their parents. Well, I cannot give you an answer to that question, in fact I cannot give you an answer to my above question in full yet either. But I just know that it needs to be done. Because our homeless population is steadily increasing and our government is running out of ways to ignore it and sweep it under the rug. Something needs to change, and I believe that first step toward change is a shift in our thinking, especially in our younger generations. Because the homeless are people too. And deserve just as much care and assistance from the government and as the rest of us. And just as much respect too.