Community Pilot Project Program
NAACFRC’s Community Pilot Project Program aims to build capacity among community-based organizations (CBOs) to conduct research that is responsive and relevant to the well-being of children and families. This community program provides training and funding to CBOs for community-based participatory research.
2025-2026 Community Pilot Project Program Participants
Black Community Provider Network
The Black Community Provider Network (BCPN) is a coalition of family-serving organizations in Illinois dedicated to strengthening families and transforming systems of care for children and communities. Rooted in a mission to keep families intact by ensuring that children are safe, supported, and well educated, BCPN works at the intersection of training, advocacy, capacity building, and research. Through partnerships with community-based providers, public agencies, and policy leaders, BCPN develops innovative programs, builds workforce capacity, and elevates the lived experiences of families to improve early childhood, mental health, and service systems.
The organization’s pilot research project, Rooted in Care, is a community-engaged research initiative designed to deepen understanding of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) experiences among families in Chicago’s Englewood and North Lawndale neighborhoods. By training parents and caregivers as co-researchers and facilitating community-based listening sessions, the project seeks to examine how families experience IECMH support within early education systems and document the elements that create affirming care environments. Findings from this research will generate actionable insights for providers, policymakers, and early childhood leaders to inform program design, shape policy, and advance more responsive and sustainable mental health supports for children birth to 5.
This project aligns with the Center’s research priority area of Early Care and Education.
Community Insight
Community Insight is a Detroit-based, community-engaged research organization dedicated to economic and family well-being.
The organization’s pilot research project, Faith and Futures: Exploring Church-Based Support for Child Savings Accounts (CSAs), examines how churches can serve as trusted hubs for promoting financial literacy and wealth-building among families in Detroit neighborhoods. Partnering with local churches and the University of Michigan, Community Insight is studying how faith-based outreach can increase participation in CSAs—tools proven to enhance college readiness and long-term financial stability.
By leveraging the deep trust and infrastructure of faith institutions, Faith and Futures seeks to demonstrate how community-driven approaches can strengthen economic empowerment, build wealth, and inform future policy and practice for families.
This initiative aligns with the Center’s research priority area of Economic Mobility.
Power Move Education & Development Group
Power Move Education & Development Group (PMEDG) is a Nashville- and Atlanta-based nonprofit organization with a mission of preparing young people for sustainable careers in the music and entertainment industries through technology, innovative education strategies, and community partnerships. PMEDG provides youth with access to real-world training, mentorship, and certification opportunities that bridge the gap between artistic talent and career readiness. The organization advances career-focused learning that empowers students to thrive creatively and professionally in an evolving global industry.
The organization’s pilot research project explores how music, rhythm, and storytelling can enhance early literacy engagement and creative confidence. By integrating the arts into classroom and community learning environments, the pilot promotes self-expression and academic success while generating research to inform education practices nationwide.
This project aligns with the Center’s research priority area of Economic Mobility.
