UNCG SERVE’s Christina Dukes Supports Homeless Children, Gets National Honor

Posted on February 12, 2016

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Christina Dukes has received the 2015 Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.

She has been a part of SERVE since 2000. The first several years she concentrated on migrant education, and for the past 12 years she has been a part of SERVE’s National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE).

From 2003 through 2013, Christina served as a program specialist for NCHE, working out of Florida. In 2014, Christina moved to Washington, DC, to being working on behalf of NCHE as a federal liaison.

SERVE is a part of UNCG’s Office of Research and Economic Development. The NCHE, which is based at the Gateway University Research Park North Campus in Guilford County, works at the national level to support state- and local-level educators, service providers, and other practitioners in improving educational access and success for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

In the nation’s capital, she plays a role at the federal level on the topic of families, children and youth in homeless situations – and their intersection with K-16 education. She has recently been engaging more in national inter-agency collaboration for the prevention and ending of child, youth and family homelessness.

“For the past couple of years, I’ve been able to bring an additional voice to preventing and ending homelessness.” She is helping raise the profile of this societal issue.

Advocates are making slow and steady progress, she says. There are new laws, new guidelines.

She also has authored several resources, toolkits and publications, on areas ranging from access to education for the children of homeless veterans to access to higher education for homeless youth.

College success makes a dramatic impact on the future of children and youth who experienced homelessness during their formative years. “It breaks the cycle of homelessness – it’s good for them, for families, and for the broader society.”

Read more about UNCG SERVE’s National Center for Homeless Education

 

Written by Mike Harris

Reposted from Campus Weekly

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