Ciarra Ardson serves as the Education & Family / Youth Services Director at VOICES of Stephenson County. Before named Education & Family / Youth Services Director, she served as a sexual assault advocate, prevention educator, and prevention coordinator for the organization. She oversees shelter general advocacy and all prevention programming provided in Stephenson County. Ciarra received her degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Dubuque with aspirations of coming back to the community in which she was born and raised to serve.
Before joining VOICES of Stephenson County in 2015, Ciarra served as a Teaching assistant at her Alma Mater and personally developed, co-implemented and facilitated a student-mentoring program serving first year/transfer students enrolled in Vocation of Sociology and Criminal Justice. Ciarra brought this visionary approach and dedication to develop the prevention program at VOICES.
Ciarra supervises three prevention services staff who provide age appropriate school based domestic and sexual violence prevention programing and two shelter general advocates that provide trauma-informed case management, safety planning, and advocacy services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
She has been nominated and served on the Executive Committee for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault as well as Chairperson for the People of Color Committee. She has certifications in both 40-hour Illinois Domestic Violence and 40-hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention and oversees trainings provided in the community and to new/current staff at VOICES.
Ciarra serves on the District Community Leadership Team and is one of the worship leaders at her church. She has served on a school board of directors and has used her voice to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. She enjoys competitive dance competitions, church and outings with her family.