Recent Highlights - December 2022
December 2022: Children's Institute board and staff gathered to celebrate the holidays together.
November 2022: Children's Institute staff attended ROC the Future Alliance's State of Our Children presentation.
October 2022: Exercise Express presented its second annual Trunk or Treat. This fun and safe trick-or-treat event included the distribution of community resources as well as candy. The Get Ready to GROW bus was there in costume, along with several Children's Institute team members - handing out both candy and toothbrushes to many lovely families!
October 2022: It is all about building community for our kids. Children’s Institute joined community partners, parents, and friends for some treats and to learn about school budgets. This work matters and we appreciate our partnership in this journey to excellence and equity for all RCSD's children.
October 2022: Children’s Institute researchers Joseph McFall, Ph.D., and Marjorie Allan, MPH, are participating in a community-based participatory research course at the Center for Community Health and Prevention at UofR. Participants are eligible to apply for funding to support working with a community partner to design larger pilot study funding requests. Joseph McFall is collaborating with the Child Care Council and LAUNCH around the problem of suspensions in early childhood and preschool. Marjorie Allan is collaborating with RMAPI to develop and implement community-led focus groups regarding the impacts of the NYS increase in minimum wage among those directly affected and with RAPP and the Early Childhood Education Quality Council to develop parent-led networks for ongoing resources and support.
Other projects:
- Initially funded by ESL Foundation, Children's Institute (CI) is designing, creating, and maintaining a longitudinal database (i.e., “RECAP-L”) to integrate twenty years of RECAP data and additional related databases. These aggregated pre-K student cohorts are based on uniform-format comprehensive assessment results over time generated from CI measurement tools and supplemented by RCSD-provided measures, student characteristics, and attendance data. Subsequent grade-level student assessment scores on NWEA and NYS tests as well as enrollment and graduation data allow for the creation of a world-class multi-measure multi-cohort longitudinal database that can generate unlimited research insights, RECAP program evaluation opportunities, and inspire research, new collaborations, and future funding opportunities.
- A manuscript was submitted to a peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Applied School Psychology) that summarized findings on the impact of Primary Project on school attendance for students with chronic absenteeism (in addition to meeting screening and schools’ criteria for Primary Project enrollment).
- Research presented at 2022 ISDC
September 2022: Children’s Institute and ROC the Future staff had the opportunity to attend “Stage of Change Approach to Professional Development” training. Sixteen staff members joined Linda Murray and Kim Avery to understand how to identify a learner's readiness to change and support change with those they work with in various settings. Additional monthly “Get to Know Stage of Change” sessions will be offered to participants during the coming months.
September 2022: Everyone enjoyed community fellowship at RACF's 50th Anniversary Gala at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center! Staff members Genemarie Van Wagner, Elizabeth Devaney, Diane Trentini, Dr. Ann Marie White (with her son Alex, a UR student), Dr. Joe McFall, Earl Greene, and board member Dr. Melissa Goodwin represented Children's Institute at the event, 'Taking Charge of Our Future–Celebrating the First 50 Years.' Recipients were honored for the 2022 Philanthropy Awards including Jonathan Foster, Emerson Fullwood, Dr. Dawn Lipson, and Judy von Bucher (Joe U. Posner Founders Award). Jennifer Leonard reflected on her years of service and was honored for her 29-plus years as president and CEO, and incoming President and CEO Simeon Banister was celebrated and provided inspiring words for our future as a community.
September 2022: Earl Greene, Director of Family Engagement and Equity, was invited by Professor Dr. Ann Marie White to be a Guest Lecturer at the University of Rochester to a great group of undergraduate students. Topics included partnerships, collaborations, and promoting hope.
September 2022: Earl Greene, Director of Family Engagement and Equity, was a speaker at the Mural Dedication Ceremony commemorating Samuel Rinngold Ward, an abolitionist, lecturer, writer, and the first African American minister in Wayne County NY in the 1850s. This event was hosted by the Butler Historical Preservation Society in South Butler, NY.
August 2022: The Get Ready to GROW team enjoyed a warm and sunny Sunday with lots of fun and families at the Annual Mascot’s School Bash at The International Plaza. Great food, music, dancing, and free back-to-school giveaways were enjoyed by all. Kristin Lynch, Teresa Medero, and Jackie Robbins welcomed families and shared information about opportunities for families to get free health and developmental screenings and follow-up support for children ages 1-5.
Other events:
- Parents Resource Fair and Maternal Health Panel Discussion, August 10, Gantt Recreation Center, 700 North Street, Rochester
- Back-to-School Resource Fair and Carnival, August 27, Flower City School #54, 36 Otis Street, Rochester
- Fall Extravaganza event, Grand Ave Park, Rochester
- Community Total Health & Wellness Fair, August 20, International Plaza, 828 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester.
July 2022: Children's Institute's Whole Child Connection team was at the Regional Equity Network summit with 200 administrators and educators from across Monroe County. Mahreen Mustafa George, Associate Director of Equity and School Services, was a featured speaker.
Blog posts from Whole Child Connection:
- Sept 2022: Youth Voice: Malaz Hassan
- August 2022: As Summer Wanes, Reconnecting
- June 2022: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and culturally responsive practices
- June 2022: Youth elevating the impact of BIPOC educators
July 2022: Children’s Institute staff and friends enjoyed an end-of-year celebration.