Behind the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip lies a hidden crisis: more than 13,000 K-12 students in the Clark County School District (CCSD) experience homelessness each year. A powerful new documentary, Learning to Survive: A Lesson in Student Homelessness, aims to bring this often-overlooked issue to the forefront, sharing the stories of students, educators, and advocates working to address the growing impact of housing insecurity on families in Las Vegas.
A Crisis in the Shadows
Directed by Kevin Naughton and produced in collaboration with Gregory Gardner of Aquarian Legacy Productions, Learning to Survive offers an intimate look at the challenges faced by homeless students. One student featured in the film recounts, “I was staying at bus stops and sleeping on the bus. I would buy a bus pass and fall asleep in the back of the bus. I still liked to learn, I still liked to go to school, but it was hard. My grades just kind of plummeted.”
These stories highlight the invisible struggles of youth homelessness, a crisis that often goes unnoticed. “When we think of homelessness, we typically think of adults, not children,” said Naughton. “The goal of this film is primarily to raise awareness around the issue of youth homelessness and make it visible.
A Call to Action
The documentary also amplifies the voices of educators and advocates working tirelessly to support these students. Meg Pike, Title I HOPE coordinator, emphasizes the importance of community awareness. “It may not be directly in your backyard, but it is in our school district. If we can make this documentary and increase awareness about this population and remove some barriers for students, please, let’s do it.”
The idea for the film was sparked when Mariesol Gomez, a Title I HOPE staff member, watched Naughton’s earlier documentary short, Doubled Up, which explored student homelessness in Akron, Ohio. “The moment I watched it, I was profoundly moved,” Gomez said. “The care, compassion, and genuine dedication displayed by Not Wax Productions gave me immense confidence in their ability to craft a full-length documentary.”
Naughton formed Not Wax Productions to bring the project to life, partnering with Gregory Gardner and Aquarian Legacy Productions, known for their socially conscious films. “Aquarian Legacy Productions is honored to be a producing partner on Learning to Survive,” Gardner said. “This film is a testament to the power of storytelling in driving social change.”
