Innovation

Maria Keller, LICSW, is a therapist who was trained in eGen and has been providing the program to families. She is a CEHD alum, having received her master’s from the School of Social Work (SSW). She is currently a clinical supervisor and therapist with Change Incorporated and serves as a practicum instructor in SSW.

Safety, nurturing families, and permanent connections are essential to a child’s well-being, and supporting community-based initiatives toward preventing child abuse and neglect is critical.

This fall, CEHD welcomed the first cohort of Wezhinoo’igejig: Ojibwe Scholars in Early Childhood. In Ojibwe, Wezhinoo’igejig (way-shi-NOO-i-GAY-jig) means “the ones who show or point the way.” This focus option in the Institute of Child Development early childhood degree combines coursework in child development, early childhood teaching methods, and Ojibwe immersion pedagogy. The generosity of donors has been crucial in helping the program get started and to support the 15 professionals looking to increase their skills. Stuart Lucks (MSW ‘79) was an early partner in the initiative.

The best way to help children become their best selves is to support parents as they navigate childhood. Research throughout past decades has demonstrated the effectiveness of programs that do just that; however, those programs are not widely available and, even when they are available, they are not very accessible. This is where Empowered Generations (eGen) comes in.

CJ Jones peered into the audience and said, knowingly, “If you think about it, Deaf individuals have to work twice as hard” as hearing people. Approximately 300 members of the greater Twin Cities Deaf community—including undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and community members—raised and waved their hands in the American Sign Language (ASL) sign for applause.

CEHD is focused on deepening its global relationships. This means listening and responding to the needs of global partners and fostering significant relationships to strengthen international engagement, sustainability, and reciprocity.

In a stirring address commemorating the Institute on Community Integration’s (ICI) 40th anniversary, Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver (pictured right) urged disability advocates to deepen their commitment to inclusion amid funding cuts and other challenges.

Malaysia is the largest recipient of refugees in Southeast Asia, with over 300,000 refugees currently striving to create a home for their families throughout the country. Many of these communities have significant trauma histories and related mental health needs but rely on a stressed service system of government health agencies and NGOs for needed services.

University of Minnesota Regents Professor of Child Development Ann Masten has built a legacy studying resilience in human development.

AugmentED is a part of the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF), a national nonprofit launched in 2021. AERDF harnesses the power of research and development to unlock scientific breakthroughs and deliver research-backed solutions to pressing teaching and learning challenges.