LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's homelessness crisis touches much of the city, and Simmons College of Kentucky is now opening the door to get people off the streets.
To even enroll in college, you have to have a mailing address. However, that's not a luxury people experiencing homelessness can afford. So Simmons College is building a curriculum to study homelessness and break down some barriers.
"People experiencing struggle do not need distance," said Dr. Terence Lester with Simmons College. "They need support."
Lester was a high school dropout, gang member and homeless teenager.Â
Dr. Terence Lester is now researching the very issues he's had to overcome as he spearheads Simmons College's new Open Doors Initiative. May 9, 2024. (WDRB Photo)
"I'm passionate about this because I understand what it means to be forgotten," he said Thursday. "While each of us may have faced different and unique challenges, the truth is that we've all had to find our way back from something."
Lester is now researching the very issues he's had to overcome as he spearheads Simmons College's new Open Doors Initiative. It's the first Historically Black College and University curriculum of its kind, studying the challenges of homelessness around Louisville.
"Education is a pathway to empowerment," Lester said.
Starting this summer, students will gather data on the houseless community and collaborate with organizations like the Louisville Metro Police Department and the Coalition for the Homeless.
The goal is to foster student advocates, create policy reform and, ultimately, help unhoused people gain access to certification programs.
"We need to ask them what they need," Lester said. "What kind of certification do you want to get? Do you want to become a forklift driver? Do you want to become a chef?"
Lester believes there's no better school to launch this program than a college that didn't have a home for 84 years.
"Think about it," he said. "It lost this building, land and managed to stay open with one program: a Bible program."
The school is now investing in community members who too need a comeback.
"Punishment is not the answer," Lester said. "Opportunity is."
Simmons College of Kentucky hopes to launch the curriculum and some solutions by spring of 2025.
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