Ashley Cureton-Turner

Bio

A committed social justice advocate and accomplished scholar, Ashley Cureton began her CTD experience as a Teaching Assistant for the Civic Education Project (CEP) 11 years ago. Since then, Cureton has worked for 18 CEP initiatives, mostly as a Facilitator for Civic Weeks on topics like immigration and public health, as well as the Civic Leadership Institute. Her academic career has grown alongside her deepening involvement with CEP. When she applied for her first CEP position, Cureton was a graduating DePaul University senior. Today, she is a PhD candidate and lecturer at the University of Chicago, poised to undertake postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins, where she will continue her research on refugee and immigrant youth. “It is my goal to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals and communities through value-driven scholarly and creative social work education, research, and professional leadership,” Cureton says of her plans for the future.

Cureton seeks to cultivate comparable values among her CEP students. “I hope CEP students feel inspired to become active, engaged citizens in their respective schools and local communities,” Cureton says. She notes the “extraordinary intellectual capabilities” of CEP participants, calling them “some of the most thoughtful, driven, and intelligent students that I’ve encountered.” She’s found a similar sense of shared purpose among the staff, and fondly recalls connecting with “equally passionate” colleagues during program trainings.

Outside of her studies and her work with CEP, Cureton enjoys global travel, spending time with her nieces and nephews, and baking desserts. Pressing social justice issues are never far from her mind, however. Cureton is a podcast enthusiast, and she recommends her students explore the Refugees’ Stories Podcast, Global Dispatches, and Status - Immigration & People. A prolific reader, her bookshelf includes such titles as Child Migration and Human Rights in a Global Age and Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America. And Cureton is bringing her globally conscious spirit to a new project, in which she’ll work to improve education and access to feminine products for refugee girls in Iraq. In her life as a researcher, an educator, and an advocate, Cureton is engaged with addressing powerful human rights issues, and she wants to see her students motivated as well: “I hope CEP students feel inspired to create change to make a positive impact on the world.”