Outreach & Extension ProgramsAging and Life Course Development The focus of this extension program is to promote outreach activities in the area of aging and life course development with an emphasis on: promoting social integration in later life, including intervention programs to reduce social isolation among older persons; improving the quality of care provided by employees in nursing homes; and improving cooperation and communication between families and staff in nursing homes. A new program area currently in development explores ways of engaging older persons in environmental volunteering, in collaboration with county Extension Associations in New York State. Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging (CITRA) Pillemer is the Principal Investigator of a center grant funded by the National Institute on Aging. This grant funds the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging (CITRA), one of ten Edward R. Roybal Centers on Applied Gerontology nationwide. CITRA has created a community-based research partnership in collaboration with major elder service providers in New York City. CITRA promotes evidence-based practice, systematic dissemination of information, and intervention studies involving the aging population. It conducts extensive investigator development for applied research, and uses a community-based participatory research model. Caring For Quality Program The Caring for Quality Program supports and connects both registered and license-exempt family child care providers through home visits and networking meetings in order to increase the quality of care provided to young children. The Cornell Early Childhood Program is evaluating the efficacy of the program through an evaluation of impacts on providers, program quality and child outcomes. Cornell Early Childhood Program (CECP) CECP integrates applied research with teaching and extension outreach in ways to promote greater understanding of young children and their families as well as policies and practices that enhance child development. Activities focus on early development, care and education of children from low-income families as universal family and community needs; family support in the child care context; integration of strategies; and international exchange and comparison in the early childhood arena. Early Childhood Professional Development The focus of this program area is early childhood professional development combining cross-cultural understanding of play and curriculum, violence prevention and programming, and mentoring in early childhood settings. Related website: Prekindergarten Staff Development Online Portfolio. Universal Prekindergarten In September 1998 New York State passed legislation calling for universal prekindergarten for all four-year-olds. In response to this legislation, members of the Cornell Early Childhood Program (CECP) have conducted a wide-ranging series of implementation studies designed to identify the successes and challenges encountered by this ground-breaking initiative and to measure its impacts on the broader early care and education system in New York State. Documents describing those studies are available on the CECP web-site. In 2007 the NY universal prekindergarten program received a substantial increase in funding, with additional increases promised for the next three years. Thinking Like a Scientist The Thinking Like a Scientist curriculum is an educational outreach program for traditionally underrepresented youth, designed to increase their interest and participation in science by teaching them how to reason scientifically about problems in daily life.
Extension Technology Support The Extension Technology Support Project leverages the Internet to make the lessons from faculty research more accessible. The project is developing downloadable materials and presentations based on current research in the Department of Human Development. The materials are designed for use by Cooperative Extension Educators and other professionals.
Family Development Credential (FDC) Program Cornell's FDC Program collaborates with state and local agencies to teach agency workers how to coach low-income families to set and reach their own goals for healthy self-reliance. The program is available in communities across NY and the nation to frontline workers from all public, private and non-profit service systems (e.g. home visitors, case managers, family resource center workers, health workers). To earn the FDC, front-line workers take 90 hours of classes based on Empowerment Skills for Family Workers (Forest 2003), complete a portfolio documenting their ability to apply these concepts and skills, and pass a standardized exam. CYFERnet Parent/Family Editorial Board The Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network (CYFERnet) provides peer-reviewed, research-based resources for children, youth and family community-based programs. Nationally known scholars and Extension educators review all resources published on or linked to CYFERnet to ensure their high quality. Contract funds the Editor position for the CYFERnet Parent/Family. USDA Children, Youth and Families At Risk (CYFAR) Through several contracts, Sr. Extension Associates provide oversight and review for CYFAR projects in 8 states, co-leadership for the annual CYFAR Conference, and advisory roles with the national CYFAR Program.
Memory, Cognition, Social Processes and the Law This program area focuses on translating research on memory, social factors, and child development (including that of disabled populations) into recommendations for preparing social histories for use in the legal system, and, more broadly, create new training programs with the College of Law to infuse social sciences research into legal practice at all levels. Processes that Control Children’s False Memory Reports This program area involves research and translation of research regarding the nature of children’s learning and memory and includes working directly with teachers and school administrators. The findings of this program of research on memory and cognition can be used in forensic contexts to improve interviewing techniques for child witnesses and victims, so that ultimately their testimony can be a more reliable source of evidence to identify perpetrators. Related website: Laboratory for Rational Decision Making. Translating and Adapting Child Witness Research for the Legal Community This program area involves translating voluminous, highly technical scientific literature on child witnesses for juvenile and family court judges, law guardians, and law enforcement professionals. Curricula, briefing books, webcasts and in vivo workshops are prepared for judges all around the US and Canada to help them deal with children in their courts. Ceci is the Principal Investigator and Co-Director for the Cornell Institute for Research on Children (CIRC).
Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Partnership The AYD Partnership is a statewide inter-agency partnership to train youth workers. Partners include the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and ACT for Youth Upstate Center of Excellence. The Partnership trains youth workers and educators statewide through a train-the-trainer model using three curricula, twice annual newsletters, listserv, website, and one annual conference. Community Improvement Through Youth (CITY) Project Through civic engagement, workforce preparation, and asset development the CITY Project is working to empower at-risk teens in Broome County and New York City. Interventions for Risk Reduction and Avoidance in Youth This program area involves a randomized control trial intervention to reduce unhealthy risk taking, especially behaviors that result in premature pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in high-school aged youth. The application of recent advances in cognitive developmental research to enhance risk reduction programs for adolescents instills new ways of framing risky decisions for adolescents. The outreach aspects of the research include faculty and students educating youth about scientific research, delivering a CDC-approved effective health curricula designed to reduce unhealthy risk taking, and serving as role models to high school and elementary students. Related website: Laboratory for Rational Decision Making. Sexual-Minority Adolescents and Young Adults This program area focuses on promoting the well-being and resiliency of sexual-minority adolescents and young adults and includes delivering presentations and providing interviews on his book The New Gay Teenager and related issues. USDA Children, Youth and Families At Risk (CYFAR) Through several contracts, Sr. Extension Associates provide oversight and review for CYFAR projects in 8 states, co-leadership for the annual CYFAR Conference, and advisory roles with the national CYFAR Program Youth Development The focus of this program area is to develop resources and provide project management for state and federally funded projects aimed at system-wide capacity building for youth development. |
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