Lessons in empathy: Why homelessness education belongs in every classroom
Written by Lucas Patchett OAM, CEO and Co-Founder of Orange Sky.
When you ask a class of students what the word “homelessness” means, you’ll often hear the same answer: “someone sleeping on the street”. It’s an image many of us grew up with, one that’s reinforced repeatedly in movies, media and everyday language, but it tells only one part of the story.
Across Australia, over 122,494 people are experiencing homelessness in many different forms. Whether it be families moving between temporary accommodation, young people couch surfing, or individuals cycling through overcrowded or insecure housing, homelessness can look like many different situations, often hidden in plain sight. It is a complex, deeply human issue and one that is too often misunderstood. The key defining factor is a lack of stable, safe, and affordable housing, not a lack of effort or worth. This is an important lesson for all of us, especially our young people.
Recent research we commissioned found that only one in ten Australians feel very confident they could correctly define homelessness. This gap in understanding shines a light on why homelessness education is such a powerful and important tool, helping the next generation build empathy, challenge stereotypes and develop understanding beyond the surface.
The friend who changed everything
When I was still in school, I volunteered with my co-founder, Nic, on a food van. One night, we met a man named Harry. He was friendly, quick with a joke, and always up for a chat. We didn’t know it at the time, but that first conversation with Harry would shape the direction of our lives.
Harry told us about growing up in institutions after being taken from his mother at a young age, and the challenges he’d faced over the years. But what stood out wasn’t just his story, it was the way he spoke about community. “Family is number one,” he told us. “Second is get along with people. And third is my football team, and I hope they win the Shield Premiership. Go the Pies!”
That connection with Harry shaped our understanding and perception of homelessness. He wasn’t a statistic. He was someone who had faced more hardship than many could imagine, and still showed up with warmth, humour, and openness. He helped us understand that homelessness isn’t just about housing. It’s about disconnection. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can offer is a conversation and a place to feel seen.
Today, Harry still comes to multiple Orange Sky shifts every week across Brisbane. He doesn’t come to wash his belongings, he simply comes to chat and connect with the volunteers. “I’ve got my own washing machine, I saved for it,” he says, “but I still come down because I like doing it. The people are great!”
That’s the power of connection. And that’s the heart of why we believe homelessness education belongs in every classroom.
Why education matters
At Orange Sky, we have spent over a decade listening to the stories and lived experiences of people doing it tough. Every conversation reminds us that understanding creates connection, and connection empowers us to strive for change.
Young people are naturally curious and compassionate. When given the opportunity to learn about social issues through an age-appropriate and engaging lens, they develop empathy rather than building up judgement. This World Homeless Day (10 October 2025), we launched free education resources for schools to help students learn about homelessness in a safe and inclusive way.
These classroom resources encourage open conversation about what makes a home, why housing insecurity can happen and how communities can work together to support one another. Taking hold of that natural curiosity and compassion, this curriculum tool helps students understand that this is not an issue of blame or guilt but rather that everyone deserves safety, dignity, and belonging.
Replacing stigma with compassion
These findings signify how reinforced stereotypes can shape the way we think and talk about social issues. A stronger focus on education can help shift that. When students understand that housing insecurity can impact anyone – families, young people, and the elderly – it builds empathy and replaces stigma with compassion.
By teaching broader definitions of homelessness and exploring its causes, schools can play a pivotal role in shaping the attitudes of future generations. It’s about moving the conversation away from “what went wrong?” to “how can we help make things right?”.
Learning through real connections
Homelessness education is just one part of a much bigger picture that includes a push for real reforms to support housing, health, mental wellbeing and social inclusion. But starting with education means starting with creating connections, and this is what leads to meaningful change.
Our education resources were developed with this principle in mind. Each module includes age-appropriate activities, lesson plans, quizzes and stories that encourage reflective thinking. Students are invited to explore what home means to them, hear real experiences of resilience and community, and discuss how we can all make a difference.
When young people learn that everyone deserves a safe place to call home, we’re not just giving them knowledge but also equipping them with the tools to build supportive communities. Our goal is to help young people see that homelessness is about all of us, and how we can look after one another.
Our role in building empathy
As parents, caregivers and role models, we have an undeniable influence on how young people see and respond to the world around them. Children learn empathy not only from lessons in the classroom, but from the conversations they hear at home; the way we talk about difference, fairness, and community.
By taking the time to talk openly about what homelessness really means, we help our children develop an understanding that lasts a lifetime. You don’t need all the answers. Sometimes, simply asking questions together can make all the difference: “What does home mean to you?” “How can we show kindness to people who might be doing it tough?”
These everyday conversations help young people see that compassion and respect start with how we listen, think, and talk. When families and schools work together to nurture empathy, we help to raise future leaders who see others through a lens of dignity and hope.
Looking ahead
Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to help shape the future. By talking about homelessness openly and supportively in schools and at home, we can set off a chain reaction in our attitudes and understanding across the country.
At Orange Sky, we’ve seen how understanding can be as powerful as a clean load of washing or a warm shower. It brings people closer and sets us on the right path to building communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Harry once told us, “Every time I come down here, I feel good.” That feeling of being welcomed, heard and valued is what we want every student to learn they can help create.
When empathy becomes a part of everyday learning, we’re not just teaching about housing insecurity, we’re teaching about humanity.
Lucas Patchett OAM is the CEO and Co-Founder of Orange Sky. Lucas, along with friend Nic Marchesi, co-founded Orange Sky in 2014 at just 20 years old. Starting from humble beginnings, with a couple of washing machines and dryers installed in an old van to provide dignity and improve hygiene standards of those sleeping rough around Brisbane, Lucas and Nic have expanded Orange Sky substantially. To date, Orange Sky has provided Australians doing it tough with over 4.4 million kilograms of free laundry, over 52 thousand showers and over 650,000 hours of genuine and non-judgemental conversation across more than 60 services across Australia.
The research referenced within this page was commissioned by Orange Sky and conducted by YouGov between 19 – 29 June 2025. The sample was comprised of a nationally representative sample of n=1,367 Australian residents aged 18+. The data has been weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.
