Past Events

The Triangle Economics of Education Workshop (TEEW) will bring together scholars to present and discuss empirical research on the economics of education. This year’s keynote speaker is Celeste Carruthers, the William F. Fox Distinguished Professor of Labor Economics in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee with a joint appointment in the…

Young children and families in the U.S. and around the world are living in a fast-changing world. The “new ecology” or contemporary context for the developing child includes: the persistence of inequalities, the demand for quality childcare, the growing impact of a changing climate, increasing conflict, the influence of technology, and the need for increased…

This presentation will explore why men and fathers are underrepresented in early childhood research studies and additionally consider why there are few men who are early childhood researchers. It will identify the prevalence of these issues, consider potential consequences, and offer recommendations through both didactic presentation and, most importantly, open conversation among those who attend….

Drawing on an extensive organizational ethnography of a non-profit organization aimed at facilitating elite educational access for racially and economically marginalized students, this talk explores the ethical and practical challenges of conducting equity-based research within mission-driven organizations. By highlighting discrepancies between organizational narratives and participants’ lived experiences, it examines how qualitative inquiry can uncover and…

Engagement is the cornerstone of effective early childhood education, fostering curiosity, confidence, and a strong foundation for future success. This session highlights how the Playful Learning model combines research and hands-on practices to create classrooms that captivate and inspire young learners, while preparing them for success as they transition into Kindergarten and the K-12 environment….

Last year, our Collaborative heard from Duke’s Native American Studies Initiative about conducting research with this population. We will follow up on this topic with a conversation with the Director of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Medical Institutional Review Board. The ECBI MIRB was created in 2001 to protect the Tribe and its members,…

Join us for a discussion of the APA Monitor Special Issue on Racial Equity moderated by CCFP Research Scientist Dr. Megan Golonka. The Equity in Research Learning Collaborative series serves as an opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity…

This annual event is for Center for Child and Family Policy employees.

The Center for Child and Family Policy is taking a group of undergraduate students to Washington, D.C. December 5-7, 2024. Students will: Explore how their interest in child and family policy can shape key decisions in their academic, professional, and personal lives; Gain awareness of potential pathways in child and family policy and how to…

The School Research Partnership in the Center for Child and Family Policy invites you to hear from school district leaders to learn more about conducting research in local school settings on Tuesday, November 19 at 4:30 PM in Sanford 03. During this panel discussion, research administrators from local school districts will describe their districts’ research…

We have postponed our scheduled presentation for the November Equity in Research Collaborative. Instead, we will provide an opportunity to gather with CCFP colleagues to connect and discuss what the election results might mean for researchers dedicated to improving the well-being of children and families and promoting equity. This will be an in-person only meeting…

The opioid crisis in the United States and Canada has reached unprecedented levels. One understudied dimension is its impact on the next generation. We use linked administrative data from the Canadian province of British Columbia (where opioid death rates exceed the U.S. national average) that links birth records since 2000 to health, education, well-being, and…

Join us for a powerful screening of “Inheritance” Dive into the heart of America’s opioid epidemic with an exclusive screening of “Inheritance,” a compelling new documentary that traces the roots of addiction through the lens of one boy’s journey and his family’s struggle over four generations. Filmed over 11 years, “Inheritance” takes us deep into…

The Equity in Research Learning Collaborative series serves as an opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings. Join us for October’s session, “What…

Love child and family policy but also interested in law/medicine/business? Come hear from Duke dual-degree graduate students about their career paths thus far and what they hope to do with their dual degrees. We will be joined by Allyson Barkley, currently pursuing her JD/MPP, Madeline Brown, currently pursuing her MD/MPP, and Anna Walsh, currently pursuing…

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy. This year, join us before the meeting from 11:30 AM – 1 PM for refreshments from Purple Bowl in the Sanford Lobby.

Join us after the Back to School All Center Meeting on Wednesday, September 18 for more fun and more food! We encourage Sanford and CCFP colleagues to drop by Rubenstein Hall’s new offices on the second floor to celebrate the end of construction and the start of the academic year. We will host an official ribbon cutting at 3PM to…

The adolescent mental health crisis represents a significant and persistent public health challenge. This presentation will detail how a multi-level approach to prevention and care can effectively support the mental health of adolescents, helping them lead healthier, happier lives. Lisa Damour is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: Untangled, Under Pressure, and The…

The Equity in Research Learning Collaborative series serves as an opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings. Join us for our first session…

In this session, we will learn about opportunities to serve communities through Teach for America, AmeriCorps and the PeaceCorps. We will be joined by Dominique Beaudry (MPP ’26, Fulbright Scholar), Ana Earl (MPP ’25, Teach for America), and Conner Weis (MPP ’24, PeaceCorps/AmeriCorps VISTA). In addition to serving communities in the US and abroad, our…

Join us to say, “hello!” On Wednesday, August 28, take a break from the first week of classes to visit with our therapy dog teams. We will be visited by three teams: Sarah and Star Mamata and Risto Nan and Axel Research shows pet therapy is an effective form of psychotherapy intervention that reduces stress…

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy.

The Triangle Economics of Education Workshop (TEEW) will bring together scholars to present and discuss empirical research on the economics of education. This year’s keynote speaker is Randall Reback, professor in the Barnard Economics Department and a faculty affiliate at Columbia University’s Population Research Center. His talk is entitled Beyond Labels:  Helping Educators Address Each Child’s…

May 13-17. This is a time for concentrated writing and other “deep thinking” activities that can be hard to accomplish when days are dominated by meetings. We encourage employees not to schedule meetings so they can focus their efforts on writing or other work that benefits from long stretches of concentrated effort.

Celebrating the students who are graduating with a certificate in Child Policy Research.

In recent years, several states have expanded a new publicly-funded learning option: transitional kindergarten (TK).TK programs bridge prekindergarten and kindergarten in their eligibility requirements and design. In this talk, Dr. Christina Weiland will share findings from the first systematic research on Michigan’s TK program, which is open to all age-eligible children in districts that offer…

Community-based Interventions and Engagement with LGBTQ Communities, featuring Dirk Davis. Join Dirk A. Davis, PhD, MPH, a Global Health Instructor and faculty member in the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research, the Duke Global Health Institute, and the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Wellness Program as he shares a few of the community-based interventions…

Since February 24, 2022, Ukrainians have endured a multitude of horrors, including war crimes, violence, and mental trauma, with civilians facing constant shelling and displacement as refugees. Psychologists treating the complex post-traumatic effects face a unique challenge due to the unprecedented nature of the war trauma. However, despite the significant symptoms of acute stress, Ukrainians…

A fundamental motivation in human development is wanting to feel recognized, appreciated, and capable of actions that benefit others. These motivations begin in childhood but are amplified in adolescence. This motivation (to ‘matter’ and to feel that one’s actions matter to others) can exert a strong influence on behavior as young adolescents explore and learn…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Featuring Jennifer Mann, research scientist for the Bridging English Language Learning and Academics (BELLA) project. Abstract: This research talk is a collaborative discussion regarding the possible extension of Jennifer Mann’s dissertation research, which focuses on fostering social change through critical literacy with refugee-background students in community spaces. Through a social-design-based research approach, which centers equity,…

Join us to hear from New York Times bestselling author, and Professor of Law, Adam Benforado, as he offers a sharp indictment of America’s mistreatment of children and a bold agenda for placing youth rights at the center of policymaking. We have an ability unparalleled in human history to ensure the well-being of kids, but…

Zoom option available. Sesame Street’s representation of minority characters, egalitarian minority-White interactions and portrayal of working women was distinctive in the mass media landscape of 1969, when it started airing. By exploiting both age variation and technological variation in broadcast reception, this paper contributes to the media and contact theory literatures by showing that positive…

Featuring Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards. This workshop is an opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Ever wondered what a think tanks is, what they do, and if they might be a good fit for your career interests? Join us to learn more about what it is like to work at a think tank from Libby Doyle, current Duke MPP student and former research analyst with the Urban Institute, and Emilia…

Significant advances in psychological science have shed insight on how to best support the achievement and well-being of students from a diverse range of backgrounds. This talk covers research on specific factors shaping the experiences and outcomes of students from marginalized communities. Recent studies provide evidence regarding the effects of strengths-based messages about students’ marginalized…

Featuring Whitney McCoy, research scientist at the Center for Child and Family Policy. Abstract: This research talk will discuss building a network of diverse higher education scholars, STEM career professionals, students, teachers, and advocates in the Black community focused on addressing the challenge of access and opportunity to informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education….

Featuring Ann Skinner and Jennifer Godwin, research scientists at the Center for Child and Family Policy. Abstract: Using eight waves of longitudinal data from young adults (n=936) during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-December 2022) from eight countries in the Parenting Across Cultures study, we have run initial LGCA models across all countries.  Initial results point to…

Featuring Dr. Sarah Gaither. An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Join us to learn about working at policy and advocacy nonprofit organizations. We will be joined by Neil Harrington from NC Child, Brennan Lewis from Equality NC, and Elizabeth Paul from the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Our panelists are working to improve the lives of North Carolinians through their work at nonprofits focused…

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy.

Featuring Shannon Egan-Dailey, postdoctoral associate in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Abstract: Children from low socioeconomic-status homes hear less child-directed speech than their more advantaged peers. However, no study has investigated the causal impact of family income or poverty reduction on children’s language input. Using data from Baby’s First Years, this project assesses the…

December 11-15. This is a time for concentrated writing and other “deep thinking” activities that can be hard to accomplish when days are dominated by meetings. For our inaugural Deep Work Week, we encourage employees not to schedule meetings so they can focus their efforts on writing or other work that benefits from long stretches…

An opportunity for all Center employees to celebrate the holiday season together.

The Equity in Research Learning Collaborative will discuss the Duke’s Native American Studies Initiative and conducting research with this population. This is an opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data…

The School Research Partnership in the Center for Child and Family Policy invites you to hear from school district leaders to to learn more about conducting research in local school settings on Thursday, November 2 at 11:00 a.m. in Rhodes Conference Room, Sanford 223. During this panel discussion, research administrators from local school districts will…

In 2019, researchers began conducting immersive interviews in Appalachia, Texas, and seven southern states in an attempt to determine the causes of “place-based disadvantage.” Immersing themselves in these communities, pouring over centuries of local history, they traced the legacies of the deepest poverty in America—including inequalities shaping people’s health, livelihoods, and upward social mobility for…

Faculty and researchers associated with the Center for Child and Family Policy are invited to network at a happy hour sponsored by CCFP. This event is being held as part of a larger effort to encourage collaboration on future grant funding.

Youth Participatory Action Research featuring Dr. Carmen Kealy. An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

The Color of Education Summit brings together North Carolina educators, policymakers, researchers, students, parents, community members, and other key stakeholders focused on achieving racial equity and eliminating racial disparities in education. This year’s theme will focus on The Path Forward: Co-Creating Equitable Spaces. Dr. Lisa Delpit, author and principal of the consulting firm, Delpit Learning,…

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy.

This event will celebrate the achievements of two distinguished scholars, Dr. Anna Gassman-Pines and Dr. Jennifer Lansford, who have been recognized with prestigious awards from the American Psychological Association’s Division 7 for their outstanding contributions to the field of developmental science. Both Gassman-Pines and Lansford have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the field of developmental…

In this session, we will learn about opportunities to work with children and families in other countries, what it’s like to live and work abroad, and how their experiences have influenced their career paths. Featuring Thomas Cheng, Duke MPP and MBA student with global experience in schools, nonprofits, large companies, and emerging startups; Maria Goodfellow,…

Drawing from experiences of dozens of cash transfer programs in low- and middle-income countries, Dr. Paul Niehaus will summarize key findings and share his internationally informed perspective, covering challenges to designing and launching randomized controlled studies, interpreting evidence from diverse contexts, and highlighting features that translate across contexts, including the U.S. Niehaus is an economist…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Stephen Ezekoye, Zack Kaplan and Dylan Moore will join us to talk about their experiences in Teach For America and how TFA launched their future studies and careers. Ezekoye (TFA 2018, Eastern N.C.) is currently pursuing an MBA, Moore (TFA 2017, Memphis) is part of the MPP program at Duke, and Kaplan (TFA 2015, Durham)…

New employees will learn about the Center’s work and culture and meet other new and current employees. Contact Berkeley Yorkery with any questions.

CCFP faculty affiliates, research scientists, and research staff are invited to participate in the CCFP retreat to create an environment where research and funding collaborations may be developed, tended and, ultimately, grown to success. We hope faculty and researchers will find common ground among research projects with the intention of increasing grant submissions and funding.  …

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy.

It is well understood that, if a person comes to see a situation as dangerous, that person will interpret information differently, behave differently, make different choices, and change physiologically. But what if a person sees the whole world as, essentially, one big dangerous place? Though it’s a truism that everyone sees the world differently, people’s…

ZOOM WEBINAR. Please join us for a review of key findings from a recently completed statewide birth-to-five early childhood needs assessment. The needs assessment was developed by the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy and The Hunt Institute on behalf of the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education. The needs assessment…

The Triangle Economics of Education Workshop brought together scholars to present and discuss empirical research on the economics of education. Dr. Thomas S. Dee, Barnett Family Professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, gave the keynote address. Dee is the Barnett Family Professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, a research associate at…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Congratulations to our graduating Child Policy Certificate program students and their families! We celebrate you!

A “Better Together” celebration for all CCFP employees and core faculty.

Join us for Locopops on the lawn to welcome the CCFP employees who recently joined us in the Sanford building and Rubenstein Hall. All Sanford faculty and staff are welcome!

Faculty and researchers are invited to learn more about the expansive longitudinal database maintained by the North Carolina Education Research Data Center (NCERDC), as well as a variety of ways that external administrative or survey data can be integrated with students’ education records. The NCERDC, housed in the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy,…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Wondering what comes after graduation? Join us to talk to young alums Victoria Prince PPS`18 and Lucy Wooldridge PPS`18 about their paths since leaving Duke. We will cover finding fulfilling jobs, moving to new cities, early adulting (e.g. finding apartments, insurance, 401Ks), decisions about graduate school, and how to lay the groundwork for finding your…

During this lecture, Dr. Shantel Meek will discuss the founding and evolution of the Children’s Equity Project (CEP), a multi-university initiative at Arizona State University that focuses on closing opportunity gaps and dismantling systemic racism in learning settings to ensure that children reach their full potential. She will discuss the model and approach of the…

Shantel Meek, a professor of practice and the founding director of the Children’s Equity Project (CEP) at Arizona State University, will join us via Zoom to talk about her career in both research and the federal government. The Children’s Equity Project works to close opportunity gaps and dismantle systemic racism in learning settings to ensure that…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Derek Rhodes, PPS ’15, founder and executive director of Durham Success Summit, will join us to discuss why he quit corporate America, after leadership positions at Google, Microsoft, and the Miami Heat, to start his own nonprofit. In his own words, “I wanted to improve the lives of local, young, black men. Men just like…

What role do we have in closing racial disparities and reducing bias as we create infant and early childhood mental health career pathways? The very first Diversity-Informed Tenet for Work with Infants, Young Children and Families is: “self-awareness leads to better services for families.” In the spirit of Tenet #1, we will come together for…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings. This session will feature a discussion with Dr. Velma McBride Murry, associate provost in the…

A Case Study of the Pathways for African American Success Program Behavioral health disparities and health care access are of serious concern for underserved populations. Telehealth options are increasingly available but vary in their effectiveness. Families may not be able to seek out services on their own or be able to determine which services are effective but…

Calvin Allen, Trinity ’92, Vice President of Programs and Partnerships at MDC, and Cate Elander, Durham County Early Childhood Coordinator, will join us to talk about their careers in community development. They have focused on economic development and strategies for breaking intergenerational poverty. We will hear how they got started, the twists and turns their…

Representatives from NCDPI’s Office of Learning Recovery & Acceleration, the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships, the NC Ed Futures Initiative at UNC, and the NC Longitudinal Data System (NCLDS) at NCDIT will share details about opportunities for helping North Carolina answer programmatic and policy questions. Presenters will be: – Jeni Corn, Director of Research…

This week we will talk about what advocacy work looks like with Morgan Forrester Ray, director of the EarlyWell Initiative at NC Child, and Morgan Wittman Gramann, executive director at North Carolina Alliance for Health. They work to improve the health and well-being of children and families in North Carolina through advocating for early childhood…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

A quarterly meeting for all employees of the Center for Child and Family Policy.

Rebecca Feinglos will join us to talk about opportunities to work in child and family policy within state and local governments, as well as other career adventures including being an elementary school teacher and her current work as a grieving educator and advocate (see www.grieveleave.com). Previously, Feinglos served as the chief policy and strategy advisor…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings. This session will continue our focus on Developing Instrumentation Methods to Reduce Bias. We will discuss…

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

During this Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture, Dr. Dudley Flood, former educator and champion of school integration, will share his personal insights on the long road to school desegregation in North Carolina, today’s challenges and opportunities, and the future of N.C. public schools as resegregation increases. Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, associate professor and associate director of research at…

During this virtual panel discussion, local school district research administrators will describe the process for applying for approval to conduct research in school settings and that involves students, teachers, and administrators as well as research priorities for their districts. Participants include Cherry Johnson of Johnston County Schools, Colleen Paeplow of Wake County Public Schools, Albert…

Join us to learn about pursuing a career in legal advocacy from April Adeeyo, staff attorney with the North Carolina Association of Educators; Madison Allen, senior program officer for health improvement at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust; and Rachel Holtzman, dual MPP (Duke) and Juris Doctor (UNC) candidate in the class of 2023. Their…

Join us to learn from current and former PhD students about what their work experiences looked like between undergrad and graduate work, why they decided to go back to school, how they figured out what to go back to school for, and what being a graduate student is like. We will be joined by Garrett…

Disengagement among middle school students is a well-documented and widespread problem. The transition to middle school often results in decreased attendance and increased chronic absenteeism and suspensions. Disengagement in middle school has longer-term consequences, including increased high school dropout and delinquency, and substance abuse in later adolescence and early adulthood. An underexplored explanation for disengagement…

The Sanford School of Public Policy and the Center for Child and Family Policy invite you to attend a reception celebrating the launch of Family Connects International. This event will celebrate the individuals who have been instrumental in the research, implementation, and management of this successful nurse home visiting program. The Family Connects model was…

Developing Instrumentation Methods to Reduce Bias We will discuss how we can improve our demographic surveys and what instruments we select to assess and measure outcomes of children and families. By discussing best practices in relation to race, gender, and other forms of diversity within research, we hope to expand and improve our current methodological…

Dr. Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia University and a staff writer at The New Yorker, writing on race, history, justice, politics, and democracy will kick off the October 22, 2022 Color of Education Summit. The summit will be delivered in an hybrid format to bring together people from all over North Carolina to exchange ideas…

Researchers from the Parenting Across Cultures longitudinal study presented their findings on the effects of the pandemic, health-compromising and risky behaviors, education, work, and intimate partnerships during this half-day conference. For 14 years, research teams in nine countries have been collecting dozens of measures every year from parents and children in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan,…

Please join us at the Duke Majors Fair where The Center for Child and Family Policy will provide information on the Child Policy Research Certificate. This informative event is for undeclared students to meet representatives from all majors, minors and certificate programs to learn more about their programs.

This session will feature Jessica Au, senior policy analyst with The Hunt Institute and former Fulbright English Teacher in Taiwan, and Maria Castrillon, currently a dual degree student, MPP/MBA at Duke and former health volunteer with the Peace Corps. We will learn about opportunities to work in child and family policy in other countries, what…

Nichole Davis, Cassie Lutterloh, and Whitney McCoy will join us to talk about their experiences in Teach for America and how TFA launched their careers in education policy. They have pursued different paths since their classroom days—a JD, MPP and PhD and work in higher education, the non-profit sector and academia. Join us to learn…

A quarterly meeting for all CCFP employees and affiliates.

An opportunity for our staff to learn how to make CCFP research more equitable with respect to race, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity at all stages from conceptualization to recruitment to data collection to analysis and reporting of findings.

Sarah Dickerson, postdoctoral associate at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, and Warren Lowell, Ph.D. candidate in public policy and sociology, presented their research on the consequences of housing disadvantage in the United States. Dickerson discussed “Chronic Residential Mobility and Academic Outcomes for Public School Children in North Carolina.” Lowell addressed “Who Counts?…

In this talk, Eugene Ohu shared his fascination with technology and its intersection with psychology and his work at the Virtual Human Computer Interaction (VHCI) lab of the Lagos Business School, Nigeria, where he teaches and researches virtual reality (VR) technologies. He shared how he and his colleagues are exploring the use of immersive technologies…

During this statewide gathering, attendees continued the national conversation from April 12, 2022, about how to implement the types of services and supports that young children and families need as part of a universal system of care. April 13th 9am – 2pm 8:15-9:00 | Check In and Breakfast Expand 9:00-9:15 | Welcome Expand Judith Kelley,…

Videos of sessions Slides from presentations During this national convening, attendees explored what research says about what young children and their families need and, subsequently, how universal systems of care could be developed to meet those needs. The conference provided a national platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to join together in shifting the conversation…

Featuring Ana Christina da Silva, Professor of the Practice of Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University Discussions about improving learning opportunities and educational equity for young children have been at the top of educational agendas in the U.S. These discussions have been intensified in the last couple of years due to restrictions in learning environments imposed…

This session will feature Ashley Kazouh, policy and program associate at the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity; Molly Osborne, director of policy and engagement at EducationNC; and Julia Whitfield, associate policy analyst at The Hunt Institute. We will learn what their work in education policy entails and what motivates them to work…

Featuring Margaret R. Burchinal, Research Professor, School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia Long-term results from the randomized controlled trial of the Tennessee prekindergarten and increased evidence of fade-out/catch-up of preschool impacts during the early elementary years should lead to a careful examination of what works for whom in early care and education…

We will be joined by Elizabeth Anderson, program director, Chatham County Partnership for Children; Suzy Khachaturyan, policy analyst, NC Budget & Tax Center; and Denise Rebeil, current Duke MPP student and former legal assistant at the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project.  They will talk about their current work advocating for children and families, as well…

Kelly Andrews, program coordinator, Durham Misdemeanor Diversion Program, Criminal Justice Resource Center, Durham County; and Alena Antonowich, current MPP student and former analyst in the NYC Department of Education will talk about opportunities to work in child and family policy within state and local governments, as well as other career adventures. This speaker series is for…

Join us to learn about pursuing a career in legal advocacy from Shajuti Hossain, JD `18, associate attorney at Renne Public Law Group; Chavis Jones, JD `20, associate counsel in the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Peggy Nicholson, supervising attorney, Children’s Law Clinic, Duke Law. They have pursued careers in…

Denise Forte is the interim CEO at The Education Trust. With more than two decades of experience in the federal legislative and executive branches advancing progressive education and family policy, Forte brings strategic leadership to the organization’s efforts to engage policymakers and diverse coalitions of advocates in demanding and securing equity-advancing policy change at the…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture The pandemic ushered in a time of unprecedented crisis in education, with students experiencing months of interrupted or unfinished learning. Student performance data shows that all students’ learning has been affected, but the impact is far greater for some student populations, particularly students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. Fortunately, this…

We welcome Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president for U.S. social impact at Sesame Workshop, for the Crown Lecture in Ethics. Dr. Betancourt will talk about Equity and Inclusion on Sesame Street. Named for benefactor Lester Crown, the lecture series was established to bring speakers to Duke to discuss ethical concerns in the arts, sciences,…

The Triangle Economics of Education Workshop (TEEW) will bring together scholars to present and discuss empirical research on the economics of education. Dr. Kirabo Jackson, Abraham Harris Professor of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, will give the keynote address, What is a Good School, and Can Parents Tell? Evidence on the Multidimensionality of…

Michael Maher and Jeni Corn from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration will explain how NCDPI education researchers are providing resources and supports to districts and schools to address learning loss resulting from the pandemic. The Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) is developing, implementing, and evaluating state-…

Isabelle Brantley and Hannah Leedle will join us to talk about working on child and family policy as consultants. Isabelle is a manager in The Bridgespan Group’s New York Office. Since joining Bridgespan, she has worked with both philanthropic and nonprofit organizations focused on serving children, youth, and families, as well as furthering global development….

Michael Gaffrey, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, and Director of Duke’s Early Experience and the Developing Brain Lab   A rapidly growing body of data indicates that the origins of depression are developmental in nature and identifiable as early as the preschool period. In this talk, Michael Gaffrey, assistant professor in the Department…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Dr. Aisha Nyandoro and Natalie Foster will discuss the powerful impacts a guaranteed income has on children and families. They will also suggest how the U.S. can make permanent the Child Tax Credit expansion, which provides a national guaranteed income for families under the American Rescue Plan. Nyandoro is CEO of Springboard…

Mandy Abliedinger, BA`98, and Bonnie Delaune, PPS`14, will join us to talk about their career paths. Mandy is a senior policy director with the Alliance for Early Success. Prior to the Alliance, Mandy worked at the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation, NC Child, and for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. After completing her undergraduate degree at…

Tiffany Green, Assistant Professor, Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Health inequalities at birth are a key mechanism in the intergenerational transmission of health and socioeconomic status. Although income is positively correlated with infant health, as well as maternal health and health behaviors before and during pregnancy, the causal effect of…

Color of Education 2021 is a two-day virtual summit that will bring together people from all over North Carolina to exchange ideas and strategies that address systemic racial inequities in the state’s education system. The summit will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, October 26, and Wednesday, October 27, 2021, both days from 4:00 pm…

Billy Shore is the founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, the parent organization for the No Kid Hungry campaign. Since founding Share Our Strength in 1984 with his sister Debbie, Shore has led the organization in raising more than $700 million to fight hunger and poverty, and has won the support of national…

Award-winning author and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones will headline Color of Education 2021, a two-day virtual summit that will bring together people from all over North Carolina to exchange ideas and strategies that address systemic racial inequities in our education system. Hannah-Jones will speak on October 26th, 2021. Color of Education will include additional sessions focused…

Join us to hear from three young alumni working in child and family policy. Jenn Acosta, PPS `17, works as a survey analyst at Mathematica, a social policy research organization, in the Children, Youth and Families Division. Arianna Fisher, MPP `21, works as a senior research analyst at Sycamores, a mental health and welfare agency…

Join us to learn from current MPP and PhD students about what their experiences looked like between undergrad and graduate work, why they decided to go back to school, how they figured out what to go back to school for, and what being a graduate student/postdoc is like. We will be joined by Gayane Baziyants,…

Foundation Impact Research Group Seminar   Gregg Behr is the author of the book When You Wonder, You’re Learning, which explores the science behind Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, revealing what Fred Rogers called the “tools for learning:” essential skills and mindsets that boost everything from academic performance to children’s well-being. The first 35 people in attendance will…

Daphna Bassok, Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and Associate Director of EdPolicyWorks   The early childhood education (ECE) workforce in the United States is characterized by low wages, limited benefits, high levels of stress, and high rates of turnover. These work conditions have negative implications for young children…

Sarah Rabiner Eisensmith is a forensic social worker, academic consultant, educator, academic guide and researcher. As a forensic social worker at AHB Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Eisensmith provides a therapeutic environment for supervised visitation and exchanges to families with the goal of repairing or restoring parent-child relationships. She also conducts supervised visitation, including…

Stanley Litow, visiting professor of the practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy, will discuss his book, “Breaking Barriers: How P-Tech Schools Create a Pathway From High School to College to Career” in a discussion led by Jay Matthews, education columnist for the Washington Post. The event will feature P-Tech graduate ShuDon Brown, who,…

  Anna Rybińska, Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Center for Child and Family Policy Short birth spacing, a birth-to-conception interval of under 18 months, is common in the United States, with over one third of all second or higher order children conceived under 18 months after the birth of their older sibling. While associations between short birth…

Early Childhood Initiative Series Christine McWayne, Professor in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University Implicit within mainstream notions of family-school partnership is the assumption that school-based engagement is needed for parents to provide effective support for their children’s learning and development. However, for many low-income, ethnic minoritized and immigrant families,…

Lisa Gennetian, Pritzker Associate Professor of Early Learning Policy Studies in the Sanford School of Public Policy, and David Reese, President and CEO of the Durham Children’s Initiative Lisa Gennetian and David Reese discussed federal and local efforts to support children and families affected by the pandemic during this annual community event. The program also…

Early Childhood Initiative Series Tyler Watts, Assistant Professor of developmental psychology, Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University Tyler Watts presented data from four cluster randomized trials that evaluated the scale up of the Building Blocks preschool mathematics curriculum. These trials were run in five different cities, producing a range of effects on measures…

“Stand For” Series Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson,  President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, a pastor, philanthropist, activist and Duke alumnus, became the president and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund in December 2020. He is a national thought leader in racial justice, community organizing, and movement building and a…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Cynthia García Coll, professor in the Pediatrics Department, University of Puerto Rico Medical School, and the Charles Pitts Robinson and John Palmer Barstow Professor Emerita at Brown University As this historic pandemic unfolds, we see Black, Indigenous, and people of color overrepresented in its dire consequences: increased numbers in positive COVID-19 cases…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Raj Chetty, William A. Ackman Professor of Economics and director of Opportunity Insights, Harvard University Children’s chances of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90 percent to 50 percent over the past half century in America. How can we restore the American Dream of upward mobility for our children? In…

School Research Partnership Event This webinar revealed how the ABC Science Collaborative, coordinated by the Duke School of Medicine and the Duke Clinical Research Institute, pairs scientists and physicians with school and community leaders to help them understand the most current and relevant data about COVID-19 so they may make decisions that will keep teachers,…

Early Childhood Initiative Series Stephanie Curenton, Associate Professor, Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development This presentation focused on racially minoritized learners’ (RMLs) experiences and achievement in school settings with a particular focus on discussing how the field measures instructional quality as it relates to RMLs’ experiences in the classroom. The presentation provided…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Diane Schanzenbach, Director of the Institute for Policy Research, Margaret Walker Alexander Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University A growing literature has documented the large and persistent impact of increasing investments in children — from income support programs, to educational investments, to health coverage. Yet, we persistently…

Early Childhood Initiative Series Jordan Conwell, Assistant Professor, departments of Sociology and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison Compared to the growing literature on income disparities in parental spending on children’s education and care, little is known about racial differences in these investments, including whether there is racial variation in such spending, net of income—the…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Marta Tienda, Maurice P. During ’22 Professor of Demographic Studies and Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University Integration is a ubiquitous concept in the immigration literature, but segregation—its opposite—dominates academic discourse about public education. Building on Justice O’Connor’s opinion (Grutter v. Bollinger, 2013) that “[O]ur nation’s public institutions should…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Natasha J. Cabrera, Professor of Human Development, University of Maryland In this lecture Natasha Cabrera reviewed the empirical evidence that links father involvement to children’s developmental outcomes during early childhood. She takes a family systems perspective that fathers’ contribution to their children’s development is over and above the contribution of mothers and…

Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, Founder and President of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER) Nearly 3 million grandparents are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren; however, less is known about grandmothers as caregivers. Using the Decennial Census and American Community Survey data, this study provides an analysis of Asian, Black,…