Anne Bladen and Marianne Legassey represented Early Childhood Specializations and Child Labs at UConn’s Fall 2024 Family Weekend. Anne and Marianne greeted students and their families attending Family Weekend events and shared information about applying for Early Childhood Specializations as well as the various ways for students to be involved at Child Labs.
Check out the new website for the UConn Drag Queen (DQ) Research Project: https://dragqueenresearch.hdfs.uconn.edu/ led by Brian Chapman and Laura Donorfio, with collaboration from Alaina Brenick and others. The team especially wants to acknowledge the efforts of Emma Chamberlin (HDFS BS ’24), who was integral in designing the website!
Check out the recent UConn Today article on the regional campuses, which highlights the addition of the Early Childhood Specializations at UConn Waterbury! Read the article here https://today.uconn.edu/2024/08/uconns-regional-campuses-gear-up-for-exciting-new-academic-year/
Congratulations to Rong Huang, recent HDFS postdoctoral scholar working with Rachel Chazan Cohen, who just started a position as assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Counseling at Austin Peay State University!
HDFS faculty and graduate students will be presenting at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) conference this June in Lisbon, Portugal. Find the full list here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1krHhezJHNnCLEvXZD_jFbiG9iqYWHhn4t03mYPca1_U/edit#gid=0
From Mar. 25-Mar. 27, National Family Development Credential trainers Caroline Mavridis and Sue Pappas (with support from Claire Forest, Director, and Amy Knight, Program Coordinator) conducted a three-day “Empowerment Skills for Leaders” Instructor Institute. A small but highly engaged group of seven leaders representing family service agencies from Missouri, Oklahoma, Florida, and New York received their certification to lead the 30-hour “Family Development Credential for Leaders” course. “FDC for Leaders” is the companion curriculum to the 90-hour FDC course for frontline human service workers and involves concepts and skills for empowerment-based staff supervision and support.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont visited an HDFS class in UConn Waterbury! Thanks to Associate Professor Laura Donorfio for opening her class to the governor and also the Commissioner of DCF. Read the article here.
The Child Development Labs (CDL) has been recognized as one of CT’s Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Programs. Master Teacher in the Infant Program, Kelly Clark, applied for this recognition on behalf of the Child Development Labs. Kelly Clark described how Child Development Labs policies aligned with known practices that support breast feeding. The recognition came with a $500 honorarium for the Child Development Labs to support best practice in providing a supportive environment for breast feeding families, staff and students. One of the many ways the Child Development Labs supports breastfeeding members of our community is by providing a peaceful, private room for feeding or pumping.
Children, professional staff and college students from the Child Labs, visited the Benton Museum of Art to participate in their Learn to Look program for introducing young children to the arts. The Child Labs and the Benton plan to continue this relationship.
Child Labs preschool teachers Debbie Muro and Sara Pickowicz and Student Teacher, HDFS undergrad (23) Julianna Kingsbury, along with their preschool friends, volunteered as a drop off location for the UConn Pack Leaders book drive. They painted collection boxes, advertised to families and collected books which the Pack Leaders will distribute to those who might not have access to books this summer. After collecting, the books were delivered to the Dean of Students office via a wagon pulled by the proud 3 and 4 year olds. The Child Labs children and teachers are connecting and collaborating with other organizations within the UConn community to help make a difference because they know even the smallest among us can impact others in a positive way.