2-072 - Developmental Science and Society: Factors in Successful University-Community Engagement Projects for Children

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

The mission of SRCD and the theme of this Convention is to promote the use of developmental science to improve human lives. This goal has guided a more general and increasing movement among many universities nationally to foster “university-community engagement.” One form of engagement focuses on research projects conducted in true partnership with community organizations, not simply performed in community settings. Such partnerships strive for university and community professionals to have equal authority and responsibility in designing, operating, and reporting the project. This can be a challenging process: Both community and academic professionals must share power and control, academics may have to work in less than ideal scientific circumstances, and community professionals need to accommodate to implementing assessments and comparison groups.
Engagement is the next strategy in conducting translational and applied projects that brings direct benefits to both science and community. The purpose of this symposium is to provide three examples that illustrate the processes and outcomes of engagement projects, to encourage others to implement such projects, and to provide lessons learned as guidance for future projects.
The presentations vary in scientific purpose, engagement processes, community contexts, racial/ethnic samples, and the challenges and successes encountered. Presenters will focus on the process of engagement, the nature of the final project, and results that illustrate how engagement contributed both to knowledge and to community welfare. The discussant will identify common keys to success, and relate them to the broader literature on the engagement movement.

Sub Unit

• Social Policy

Chair

• Robert B. McCall, University of Pittsburgh

Discussant

• Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Michigan State University

Individual Presentations

• A Community-Driven Project Supporting Early Social-Emotional Development and Mental Health - Presenting Author: Christina J. Groark, University of Pittsburgh

• Using Engaged Scholarship and Developmental Systems Framework to Move Forward AI/AN Early Childhood Development Research - Presenting Author: Jessica V. Barnes-Najor, Michigan State University; Lee KyungSook, Michigan State University; Ann Belleau, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan; Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Michigan State University

• Creating a Community-Engaged Child Development Institute - Presenting Author: Samuel J Meisels, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, U of Nebraska; Iheoma U. Iruka, University of Nebraska Buffett Early Childhood Institute; Christine B. Maxwell, University of Nebraska, Buffett Early Childhood Institute