Ariane Thomas receives 2023 Projects for Progress Award

Ariane Thomas (center) and the Positioned for Success project team were honored as a recipient of a 2023 Projects for Progress Award. (Eddy Marenco)

Penn recently hosted the 2023 Projects for Progress (P4P) awards ceremony at Houston Hall's Hall of Flags, where members of the Penn community gathered to celebrate and network. The Positioned for Success project was recognized for its efforts to provide academic support, high school preparation, and mentoring services to middle school students in Philadelphia's child welfare system affected by gun violence and parental incarceration. The team behind this initiative includes Ariane Thomas, director of the Professional Counseling Program in Penn's Graduate School of Education, and Taussia Boadi and Cheryl Nandi, undergraduates in Penn's School of Arts & Sciences.

P4P projects address societal issues and leverage Penn's research for meaningful impact. University Provost John L. Jackson Jr. underscored the commitment of Penn to social justice and community empowerment, highlighting the personal investment of students, faculty, and staff in these projects. Charles "Chaz" Howard, chaplain and vice president of the Office of Social Equity and Community, presented the awards and reflected on the ongoing challenges of racism, poverty, violence, and health disparities, while commending the efforts of the award recipients as part of the solution.

In addition to Positioned for Success, other awarded projects include The Breathing Room and United Community Clinic, which aim to address racial disparities in public school infrastructure and health care access for minority and immigrant populations, respectively.

Read more at Penn Today.