A classroom on wheels may not be the traditional way children receive an education, but for hundreds of homeless children in Massachusetts, it’s a lifeline. The COLORI Playspace Express, a mobile learning bus operated by Amal Alliance, is bringing early childhood education and social-emotional learning (SEL) directly to shelters. At a time when nearly 4,000 families are living in emergency shelters across Massachusetts, many with children under five, this program is filling a critical gap in the state’s education system.
“Every child deserves a chance to learn, play, and grow, no matter their circumstances,” says Danielle De La Fuente, CEO of Amal Alliance. “Our mobile learning buses bring structured education and emotional support directly to children in shelters, ensuring they don’t fall behind before they even begin.”
Breaking the Cycle of Educational Disadvantage
Early childhood education influences children’s long-term achievement, emotional health, and brain development. 90% of brain development happens before age five, according to research, but many homeless children are denied access to structured learning environments that foster social skills, language, and emotional control. These kids are far more likely to struggle with self-control, fall behind academically, and experience long-term financial difficulties if early interventions are not provided.
Additionally, homelessness causes a great deal of psychological stress. Toxic stress is common among children in shelters, and it can impair cognitive development and result in emotional and behavioral issues. This is addressed by initiatives like the COLORI Playspace Express, which offers a secure, nurturing environment for kids to play, learn, and build the resilience they need to succeed.
“When young children don’t have access to play-based learning, they miss key developmental milestones,” says De La Fuente. “Our program ensures they receive the support they need, even in the most unstable times.”
How It Works: Bringing Learning Directly to Children
Rather than waiting for children to access traditional classrooms, Amal Alliance’s mobile learning model meets them where they are. The COLORI Playspace Express bus visits shelters in Hudson, Worcester, Marlborough, and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. With its sensory play areas, learning stations, and social-emotional learning materials, the bus offers a trauma-informed, structured curriculum for kids aged 0 to 5.
The program’s Colors of Kindness curriculum emphasizes early reading, emotional control, and self-expression. Children gain the fundamental skills they need for school through interactive instruction, storytelling, and guided play. They also gain self-assurance and emotional fortitude. More than 547 kids have benefited from the program since it began, many of whom had never been in a structured educational setting.
Parents say the bus provides a much-needed break from the stress of shelter life, giving them time to focus on job applications and family stability.
“It makes my heart so happy to see my kids have the chance to leave our hotel room for an hour and a half to play and enjoy themselves as children,” shared a parent from the Marlborough shelter.
Changing Communities Through Education
The group has worked in refugee camps and displaced communities in Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Uganda, and Bangladesh, offering SEL programming to more than 286,000 children worldwide. Their background in crisis education has influenced their capacity to modify curricula to address the particular difficulties faced by homeless children in the United States.
“We’ve seen firsthand how education can transform communities,” says De La Fuente. “Whether in refugee camps or shelters, when you give children a safe space to learn and grow, it creates lasting change.”
Scaling the Impact
In order to guarantee that no kid in a shelter is denied access to early learning, Amal Alliance intends to extend the mobile learning concept throughout all 14 counties in Massachusetts in the future. However, there are still issues, such as financial constraints, legal restrictions, and practical difficulties.
Children who receive quality early learning experiences are more likely to achieve academically, avoid future financial difficulties, and positively impact their communities, and it has been shown that investing in early education yields a $27 return for every $1 spent.
For Massachusetts’ homeless children, getting an education can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. But with solutions like COLORI Playspace Express, more children are receiving the early learning, emotional support, and sense of normalcy they need. The program is proving that when communities invest in flexible, child-centered solutions, the impact is life-changing. Not just for children, but for families, educators, and the future of education itself.
