The National African American Child and Family Research Center (NAACFRC)
2024 Community-Engaged Research (CER) Conference:
CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies
June 6, 2024 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT | Hybrid
Shirley Massey Executive Conference Center
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA
The purpose of NAACFRC’s Annual CER Conference is to present a program that builds research capacity, specifically in community-engaged research, in African American communities. Community-engaged research is defined “not by the methods used, but the principles that guide the research and the relationships between researchers and the community.” This research may range from involving community members in an advisory capacity to community members as leads and/or equal partners in the research.
Within this 2024 conference, we showcase community-engaged research including innovative research approaches, stories of successful research collaborations, and lessons learned within the following program tracks:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Head Start/Early Head Start
Childcare Assistance
Please see the agenda for full program session descriptions.
Conference Video replays
Opening Keynote & Parent-Power Panel: Community-Engaged Research with Parents to Advance Equity in Services for African American Children and Families
Opening Greetings & Keynote: Latrice Rollins, PhD, NAACFRC, MSM; Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA, Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family, Development, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS; Alex Crosby, MD, MPH, Vice Chair and Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, MSM; William P. Jackson, PhD, Village of Wisdom.
MoreSafe First Steps: A Community-Based Approach to Supporting Families Exposed to Trauma and Violence
The goal of the Safe First Steps program is to share information with early childhood providers, schools, and families about the strategies that can be implemented to reduce re-traumatization and promote recovery for individuals dealing with intergenerational trauma and exposure to adverse childhood experiences.
MoreCommunity Engaged Research in Economic Mobility and Poverty Alleviation
This NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies program session includes three presentations about using community-engaged research to approach different economic mobility and poverty alleviation sectors.
MoreAdvancing Research in Early Care and Education for African American Children
Three presentations will be shared within this NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies program session:
MoreSimulive Webinar Presentations
Two presentations will explore systemic barriers and regional disparities in early childhood education. The topics included:
MoreIncorporating Lived Experiences into Federal Research Practices
Many federal agencies are exploring options to engage people with lived experience in federally funded research and evaluation. This session will describe how a community advisory board (CAB) can fulfill this need, how to convene a CAB in the federal research context, and lessons learned from the perspectives of one project’s CAB members, research firm staff, and federal staff.
MoreEmerging Scholar Showcase
NAACFRC Emerging Scholars, doctoral and medical students who have been mentored by NAACFRC co-investigators share their research in early care and education and the well-being of African American children and families. There are five emerging scholar presentations:
MorePolicy Power Panel and Closing Remarks
The final panel and closing remarks are shared as the NAACFRC 2024 CER Conference: CER Pathways to Equitable Programs and Policies Conference wraps up.
More
Moderator
Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW
Director, NAACFRC
Special Guests
William P. Jackson, Ph.D
Chief Dreamer
Village of Wisdom
Charli Cooksey, M.A.
Founder & CEO
WE Power St. Louis
Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA
Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family Development, OPRE
Stephanie Currenton, PhD
Executive Director, Center on the Ecology of Early Development
Guest Speakers
Darrell Armstrong, DDiv-hc, MDiv, EdS, Founder, Faith-leaders Allied and Aligned to Institute Trust in the Home (FAAITH)
Leslee Barnes, Director, Preschool and Early Learning Division, Multnomah County
Ebonee Bell, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab
Tyrone Bell, MPH, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program
Keon N. Berry, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Sociology, Morehouse College
Cassandra Bolar, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC
Briana Bostic, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Baltimore Education Research Consortium
Kesha Canda, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab
Sando Zou-Capuzzi, Young Parent Leader, Center for the Study of Social Policy
Breanna Chachere, MPH, 2022 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC
Mikayla Charles, MPH, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program
Kim Clum, Senior Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS
Amanda Coleman, PhD, MA, Deputy Division Director, Division of Children and Family Development, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS
Charli Cooksey, MA, Founder & CEO, WEPOWER
Alex Crosby, MD, MPH, Vice Chair and Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, MSM
Stephanie M. Curenton, PhD, Executive Director, Center on the Ecology of Early Development, Boston University
Tiffany Cuthbert, M.Ed, MNM, Founder, Executive Director, Pillars Initiative, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program
Jennifer Daniels, PhD, MSW, National Poverty Fellow, Institute for Research on Poverty, OPRE/ACF/HHS
Parker Gilkesson Davis, MPP, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Desha Elliott, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University
Parthenia Fields, Member, Community Advisory Board
Avis Files, Director, Family and Supportive Services, Pathway
Ife Floyd, MPP, Director of Economic Justice, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
Shedrick Garrett, MA, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC
Dr. Lynda Gibson, PhD, Director, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Leah Hamilton, MSW, PhD, Principal Investigator of the Family Economic Policy Lab, Appalachian State University
Alycia Hardy, MPA, Vice President of Policy and Research, National Black Child Development Institute
Kissie Hunt, Executive Administrative Assistant, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc.
Fatoumata “Fatima” Kane, Program Analyst, Youth Power, Parent Power Initiative, Center for the Study of Social Policy
Brianna Lemmons, PhD, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University
Ericka Lewis, PhD, LMSW, School of Social Work, University of Maryland
Anthony Lizarraga, MS, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC
Robert Mayberry, MPH, MS, Co-Lead, Capacity-Building, NAACFRC, MSM
Marla McDaniel, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population, Urban Institute
Patrick McFarlane, Government Relations Manager, Child Care Resource Center
Brian McGregor, PhD, Co-Investigator, Criminal Justice & Health, NAACFRC, MSM
Jordan Murphy, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, Executive Director, Girassol Wellness, NAACFRC Community Pilot Project Program
Aaron Quick, MSW, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University
Arthi Rao, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC
Bridget Ratajczak, MA, Child and Family Development Supervisor, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Megan Reid, PhD, Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF/HHS
Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW, Director NAACFRC, MSM
Amber B. Sansbury-Scott, M.Ed., 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC
Christian Slacks, Parent, Head Start Policy Council Member, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc.
Anthony D. Smith II (Aremu Mbande), MS, 2023 Emerging Scholar, NAACFRC
Nina Smith, PhD, Co-Investigator, NAACFRC
Simone Smith, MSW, LMSW, PhD Student, Clark Atlanta University
Allison Stephens, PhD, M.Ed., Director, Networks and Policy, HOPE National Resource Center
Jareese Stroud, Co-Lead, Capacity-Building, NAACFRC, MSM
Tanya Thomas, PhD, Executive/Head Start Director, Coastal Plain Area EOA, Inc.
Ebony Tolbert, Family Peer Ambassador, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Rodney Washington, PhD, Co-Investigator, Early Care and Education, NAACFRC
Ashley Watts, MPA, EdD Student, Educational Policy, Marymount University
Voycetta Marie White, Member, Multnomah Idea Lab
All general and breakout sessions were experienced
in-person and broadcasted live through Zoom.
Program Booklet
Enjoy the experience of the conference by downloading the program book of the conference.
