$30,000 award for “Longitudinal Development of Children Growing up in Poverty: The Mix of Child, Family, School, and Neighborhood,” led by Shinyoung Jeon, Sherri Castle and Liz Frechette with the Early Childhood Education Institute at OU-Tulsa, Mike Wimberly in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, and Bryce Lowery in the Division of Regional and City Planning, Gibbs College of Architecture
This study aims to identify how a multitude of factors and environments are associated with the longitudinal development of children enrolled in Oklahoma Head Start programs. The results of this research can inform programs and policies to help more children reach their developmental potential.
$30,000 award for “Developing Mobile Technology to Assist with Youth Diversion Services,” led by David McLeod, Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, Dean Hougen, School of Computer Science, and Constance Chapple, Department of Sociology
The research team will develop an interactive mobile app to track how youth in Norman, Oklahoma who have beenreferred to the juvenile division of the Municipal court diversion program adhere and engage with recommended services. The app aims to mitigate the adverse effects of juvenile justice contact on youth development by diverting them from formal sanctions and providing services to improve overall youth wellbeing and avoid future involvement in the criminal justice system. Along with app, the OU School of Social Work has developed practicum placements to assist in the intake, deployment, and case management for participating youth to further support successful outcomes for participating youth.
$20,000 award for “Indicators for Social Equity in Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation in Oklahoma Communities,” led by Sharon Hausam, climate adaptation planner and research scientist for the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, and Lauren Mullenbach, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability
The project will address the need for quantitative indicators of historic marginalization and current disparities in communities in Oklahoma to support future research and service on justice and equity in climate resilience and adaptation. The results of this project will guide researchers towards appropriate indicator systems and direct government resources to areas most in need. It will also advance climate justice work and launch new projects in Oklahoma by providing a quantitative tool for academic and community use.
$30,000 award for “Understanding Equity and Opportunity for Myanmar Refugee Children and their Families,” led by Vickie E. Lake, Boo Young Lim, Wonkyoung Jang, and Jiening Ruan in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, June M. Abbas in the School of Library and Information Studies, Chie Noyori-Corbett in the Zarrow School of Social Work, and Sherri Castle of the Early Childhood Education Institute at OU-Tulsa
This study aims to understand Myanmar refugee children’s language use and their development in Head Start programs, and to improve understanding of how teachers and parents support these children. The results may also yield broader insights into supporting more equitable, high-quality early care for Head Start children whose home language is not English.
