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More than 4,400 students in Delaware were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2022–23 school year, a number that continues to rise.
Ann M. Aviles, associate professor in the University of Delaware’s College of Education and Human Development, studies education equity, social policy and services for children and families. She is co-author of a new book, "Serving Students Who Are Homeless: A Resource Guide for Schools, Districts, Educational Leaders, and Community Partners", which offers practical guidance for educators navigating the challenges of student homelessness.
Nationwide, more than 1.3 million school-aged children experience homelessness annually. While housing instability is often viewed as a social services issue, research shows it has direct and profound consequences for student learning, engagement and well-being.
Housing instability affects every aspect of a student’s daily life. Students may be worried about where they will sleep, whether they will have food or how they’ll get home after school. That uncertainty makes it much harder to focus on learning, Aviles said.
A key recommendation in Aviles’ new book is stronger collaboration between schools and community organizations. She encourages districts to develop community resource maps that identify local food pantries, shelters, health providers and other support services. She also emphasizes the importance of public understanding of homelessness as a systemic issue shaped by policy, affordability and access to services.
To speak with Aviles further, email mediarelations@udel.edu.
Globally, the ousting of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has been met with a mix of reactions and cautious optimism. The University of Delaware’s Kalim Shah can discuss how regime change will play across the Caribbean and the spillover effect that will ripple throughout the region – and the world – in the years and decades to come.
Shah, professor of energy and environmental policy and an expert on the island nations of the Caribbean, says that although public statements have been muted and restrained, there is a shared understanding.
“For small island states that have absorbed the effects of Venezuelan collapse for more than two decades, this moment represents the possible end of a long and destabilizing chapter,” Shah said.
Caribbean governments are not celebrating regime change, Shah said. Rather, they are responding to the prospect of reduced systemic risk. “A Venezuela that no longer exports large-scale displacement, opaque energy leverage and permissive criminal governance is objectively preferable for the region.”
Shah can discuss several aspects of Venezuela’s political history, how the nation has arrived where it is, where it might be headed and the impact this will have on the Caribbean as a whole. Those include:
• Venezuela’s political and economic deterioration during the Chávez–Maduro era and how that has translated directly into pressures felt across the Caribbean in the form of migration, fiscal exposure, security risks and regional uncertainty.
• How the nation’s institutional collapse coincided with deepening organized crime activity across the Caribbean basin. Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime consistently places the region within major cocaine trafficking corridors linking South America with North American and European markets. For Caribbean governments, this meant higher interdiction costs, increased exposure to transnational criminal networks and growing pressure on already limited security institutions.
• This moment invites a reassessment of China’s expanding footprint in the Caribbean, Shah says. He can discuss the ways in which Beijing has deepened its presence throughout the region.
Shah says that as this transition unfolds, five policy developments will determine whether the cautious optimism proves warranted:
• The impact on Venezuelan outward migration to the Caribbean.
• Whether Caribbean public systems receive durable support rather than short-term humanitarian fixes.
• Organized crime and drug trafficking pressures in the Caribbean basin.
• External security engagement in the Caribbean.
• Whether the region avoids a return to dependency-driven energy and infrastructure politics.
“For the Caribbean, hope today is not naïve. It is conditional. The Chávez–Maduro years imposed real costs on the region. Their end creates an opening…but only if policy follows through,” Shah said.
To contact Shah directly for interviews, visit his expert page and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.
The holiday season is a whirlwind of joy, lights, and laughter, but sometimes it can also sneak in some added stress. Experts from the University of Delaware are here to remind us that our mental wellness shouldn’t take a backseat during these festive times. By weaving mindfulness into our holiday plans, we can maximize the joy and peace we experience.
Prioritizing presence over presents Let's face it: the holiday rush often translates to an avalanche of consumerism. But Amit Kumar, a marketing professor who focuses on the scientific study of happiness, suggests focusing on being present rather than the presents.
Carving out mindful time The holidays can stir up complex emotions as families come together. Psychology professors Franssy Zablah and Zachary Meehan offer strategies to support mental well-being this season.
Valerie Earnshaw and Raphael Travis, professors who study health and wellbeing, can share guidance for supporting family members with substance use disorders this holiday season.
Gifting intentionally this year Education professors Myae Han and Roberta Golinkoff can talk about gifts for children that promote reading or positive play.
Keeping the spirts bright year after year Debra Hess Norris offers tips on how to preserve decorations and make them look brand new every year.
To contact any of these experts, click on their expert profiles or email MediaRelations@udel.edu.
