RECAP: 2021 Symposium on Children

Featuring Dr. Angel Harris, professor of sociology and public policy at Duke University, Director of program for Research on Education and Development of Youth (REDY), and author of The Broken Compass.

Note: Dr. Harris’ recordings are available for 30 days ending on 12.8.2021.

Dr. Angel Harris, keynote speaker for the day, also led a breakout session focused on maximizing family engagement in school. While encouraging parents to become more involved in their children’s academic lives has been at the center of American school reform efforts to enhance children’s achievement, Dr. Harris’ research examines not on whether parents should be more involved, but rather on whether greater parental involvement will solve many of the problems currently facing our schools. During the session, Dr. Harris discussed different measures of parental involvement previously used in school settings and examined their implications on various academic outcomes. Dr. Harris also discussed his research which examines whether social class and racial disparities exist in parental involvement and what forms of involvement lead to increases in achievement across different social class backgrounds and from each major racial group within the U.S.

Dr. Sherri Killins Stewart,director of systems alignment and integration and co-director of state services at BUILD Initiative.

Dr. Sherri Killins Stewart, director of systems alignment and integration and co-director of state services at BUILD Initiative, presented during session 2 of the symposium breakouts. Her session, Building Bridges not Blocks: Creating Pathways for Listening and Responding to Families and Communities, provided insight into elevating the voices of people that have historically fought and are currently fighting systems of oppression and institutional barriers. She encouraged us to think about the perspectives and experiences of the people in the communities we serve. To share their words, Dr. Killins Stewart recommended using direct quotes, and touch upon what was said rather than summarize the overarching feeling. Creating pathways for the voices of Black, Native American, Latinx, immigrant, and people of color to reach state leaders involves recognizing the importance of listening, learning, and responding. These processes generate better understanding of what state and community programs, services, and initiatives would best serve the children and families for which it seeks to provide positive outcomes.

Dr. Lisa A. Gennetian, Pritzker Professor of Early Learning Policy Studies, professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, and faculty affiliate in the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University and author of How a Behavioral Economic Framework Can Support Scaling of Early Childhood Interventions.

Dr. Lisa A. Gennetian, a Pritzker Professor of Early Learning Policy Studies, professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, and faculty affiliate in the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University and author of How a Behavioral Economic Framework Can Support Scaling of Early Childhood Interventions, presented at a symposium breakout session on behavioral economics. Behavioral economics combines the theories of conventional economics with social psychology and cognitive decision-making. This framework can be helpful to family engagement programs as they scale by addressing feasibility, cost, and fidelity while also providing safe, nurturing, and stimulating environments for children during the transition. Through using a behavioral economic lens, programs can gain insights on parent decision-making related to: choice, fear of judgment, miscalibration, and social norms in order to maintain strong family engagement and connection. Dr. Lisa A. Gennetian shared examples of home visiting and parenting programs using this approach.

Gennetian, Lisa. (2021). How a Behavioral Economic Framework Can Support Scaling of Early Childhood Interventions. 10.4324/9780367822972-5.

Melissa Johnson, director of The Starting Point Learning Center and founder of the Family Adolescent & Child Community Engagement Service (FACCES)

Melissa Johnson, director of The Starting Point Learning Center and founder of the Family Adolescent and Child Community Engagement Service (FACCES), presented at a breakout session on strengthening families. The Starting Point Learning Center is a neighborhood early childhood center offering high-quality education to families within its Columbus, Ohio community. Director Melissa Johnson engages regularly with families both through her work at the center and as an active member of the neighborhood herself – roles which grounded her belief that children best grow and develop through strong families. During the pandemic, it became clear that families in her community needed more help, so Melissa founded the Family Adolescent & Child Community Engagement Service (FACCES) to offer holistic support through comprehensive community resources in a variety of areas including culinary education, mental wellness, legacy development, physical wellness, and child advocacy. In this session, Melissa shared about her entrepreneurial launch of FACCES and how she is building the service. She shared the lessons that her and her team are learning along the way and the impact they’ve seen within their community.

Dr. Barbara Boone, principal investigator and director of the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center in the Center on Education and Training for Employment

Dr. Barbara Boone, principal investigator and director of the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center in the Center on Education and Training for Employment, provided closing remarks. Dr. Boone asked us to apply what we learned throughout the keynote and breakout sessions. She set up a thoughtful and purposeful conclusion to the 2021 Symposium on Children.