Ann Aviles, Ph.D.
Ann M. Aviles is an assistant professor in Human Development and Family Sciences, in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware. Dr. Aviles is a community-based, applied social science researcher with a specific focus on the developmental trajectories, academic and life skills of youth of color experiencing homelessness/housing instability. While her work primarily addresses youth homelessness, it also emphasizes an analysis of institutional structures and practices that contribute to and maintain inequitable conditions of poverty frequently resulting in poor educational, health and mental health outcomes for Black and Brown youth populations.
About the project
Dr. Aviles’ Fellowship project will engage youth in the Riverside community of Wilmington, DE in civic education through partnership with Yes, You Can. The Riverside community is currently undergoing a revitalization effort, REACH (Redevelopment, Education And Community Health) Riverside (http://reachriverside.org/), in which they are seeking to transform the Riverside community. Equipping youth in Riverside with the knowledge and skills to be active contributors to the process will be essential to its success. To that end, Dr. Aviles’ partnership project aims to promote civic engagement via Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) to increase youth’s capacity to be knowledgeable, active participants in their community’s revitalization efforts.