Penn GSE’s Ariane Thomas and colleagues receive Projects for Progress award

Ariane Thomas, a Penn GSE lecturer and director of the Professional Counseling Program, and her colleagues received a Projects for Progress award today for their Positioned for Success initiative.

Positioned for Success is dedicated to breaking the cycle of vulnerable Black youth entering the juvenile justice system. The initiative provides crucial academic support, enrichment activities, high school preparation, and mentoring services to middle school-aged students in Philadelphia. These students are part of the child welfare system and have been affected by gun violence and/or parental incarceration.

The interdisciplinary team behind the initiative includes Thomas and two undergraduate students from the College of Arts & Sciences: Taussia Boadi (Sociology) and Cheryl Nnadi (Criminology).

Projects for Progress is a fund overseen by Penn’s Office of Social Equity & Community intended to encourage students, staff, and faculty to design and implement pilot projects based on innovative research that will advance the university’s aim of a more inclusive society. The program seeds projects offering new ideas to enhance the quality of life for members of the Philadelphia community.

Learn more about this year’s Projects for Progress winners here.