One-of-a-Kind School Gives Homeless Students a Leg Up

June 2015 Rotarian Magazine

In an industrial neighborhood a few blocks from San Diego’s shipyards, children start arriving at the brightly painted Monarch School at 6 a.m., an hour before classes begin. Some come early to take a shower or wash their clothes. Others eat breakfast or take a nap. Classes end at 3 p.m., but many students stay for three hours of afterschool programs.

With about 400 homeless and transient students passing through its doors each year, Monarch is one of the few schools of its kind in the United States. The state-of-the-art facility also provides students with clothing, health care, counseling, and career training. Their families can get trolley passes, money to pay for birth certificates and other documents, translation services, and parent coaching.

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