On April 20, the Center for Child and Family Policy (CCFP) hosted the School Research Partnership's annual dinner, themed The Power of School-Community-Research Partnerships in Building Student and Educator Wellness.
The dinner featured a panel discussion about the importance of prioritizing a sustained and meaningful focus on collective care, social-emotional wellness, and community-building within schools in order to be successful in fostering academic success. Panelists described the work of the N.C. Center for Resilience & Learning in districts across the state, strategies that have proven most successful for partner schools, and the infrastructure needed to sustain effective practices.
Panelists included: Katie Rosanbalm, Ph.D., senior research scientist at CCFP; Elizabeth DeKonty, M.S.W., director of the N.C. Center for Resilience & Learning at the Public School Forum of North Carolina; Whitney McCoy, Ph.D., research scientist at CCFP, and Angela Mendell, program manager at the N.C. Center for Resilience & Learning at the Public School Forum of North Carolina.
Duke students (pictured below) in the Child Policy Research Certificate program and Jacqueline Morris Fellows also participated in the event to present posters on their research projects.
Students shared the following reflections on their experience showcasing their research, engaging with community and school leaders, and hearing from panelists.
The School Research Partnership Dinner was an excellent way to culminate my time at Duke as a Child Policy Research student. I got to speak with several community and school leaders who are making a significant impact on the educational landscape in North Carolina, including the CEO of the nonprofit I partnered with for my independent research. After sharing my research and exchanging ideas with them, I got to sit among these leaders and hear my professor and her teammates talk about their incredible work through the North Carolina Center for Resilience & Learning. It has been such a privilege to learn from Dr. Rosanbalm, and it was wonderful to not only learn how to move from research to policy in her class, but to witness her sharing her expertise with local leaders and stakeholders. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the poster session and dinner!
Annie Sheeder, Jacqueline A. Morris Fellow and Certificate graduate '23
The opportunity to share my research with community and school leaders in the Durham area and the faculty of the Duke research community was a valuable experience that improved my skills in public speaking, presenting, Q&A, and more. Additionally, I enjoyed brainstorming with current teachers of Durham Public Schools (DPS) about how I could, in a future project, apply the findings from my study to scaffold the group work experience in K-12 DPS classrooms. I likewise took inspiration from the guest speakers, who led me to think about how my research into group work could help improve local and global education by preparing students better to succeed in collaborative workforce environments. Finally, my favorite part of the event was connecting with other student researchers who investigated differing topics in child and family policy to learn more about each person’s research interests while also making new friendships.
Jeslyn Brouwers, Jacqueline A. Morris Fellow '25
The SRP dinner was a great experience to showcase my research and learn from all of the guests and my peers. I was able to utilize many of the skills I have learned in the Child Policy Capstone regarding presenting academic research. I enjoyed my engaging conversations with many of the attendees regarding full-day preschool, and many of their questions and comments sparked thoughtful conversations and provided ideas for future research. I am grateful to the Center for this opportunity to learn and present the results of my independent study.
Brynn Meyercord, Jacqueline A. Morris Fellow and Certificate graduate '23
As a Child Policy Research Certificate student, I was proud to present my two semesters of hard work during the poster presentation. I truly enjoyed getting to meet and answer questions from faculty, staff, and community leaders. What made this experience even more special was the opportunity to connect with community leaders who had first-hand experience with the policy challenges outlined in my research, particularly the limited access to telemedicine in rural NC areas. The following panel event on trauma-informed educational practices left a lasting impact on me. Having worked as a work-study student for these projects for the past two years, I had been mainly responsible for analyzing the raw data, so it was exciting to hear how these projects come to life within NC school districts. More broadly, the panel gave me a better understanding of how research and policy initiatives translate into real-world solutions that positively impact children and families.
Molly Carson, Certificate graduate '23
