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The Schubert Center for Child Studies, based in the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, began a new Child Policy Initiative in July 2004 to address the need to more closely link child-related academic study, public policy formation and professional practice. The Child Policy Initiative builds on Case’s existing strengths, including an undergraduate minor in Childhood Studies and a campus-wide network of Case faculty members who are engaged in child-related research from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives in the social sciences, medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, law, and the humanities.
The overriding goal of the Child Policy Initiative is to develop a comprehensive, innovative program of multidisciplinary education, research and communications focused on child policy. Specific objectives for each program component are:
- Education: Three new child policy courses were offered for the first time in the 2005-2006 academic year, and have now become permanent course offerings: Childhood Studies (CHST) 301, Child Policy, gives undergraduate students an overview of the policy-making process and introduces them to key child policy issues. Childhood Studies (CHST) 302, Experiential Learning in Child Policy, gives students an in-depth understanding of the child policy making process at the state and federal level, and includes an experiential component through which they spend several days in Washington DC or Columbus meeting with policy makers and seeing the process in action. Childhood Studies (CHST) 398, Child Policy Externship, awards course credit to Mann Child Policy Externs for experiential learning opportunities in community agencies involved in child policy issues. In addition, in order to broaden students’ exposure to child policy, policy modules are being developed and infused into existing courses related to children and childhood. These modules draw on the expertise of local child advocates and policymakers.
- Research: A compendium of research on children, As Life Unfolds: Research on Children and Childhood at Case Western Reserve University, is now available. This 2006 publication highlights research being conducted across the Case campus that focuses on children and childhood. Additionally, a series of in-depth, stand alone Research and Policy Briefs has been initiated. These briefs summarize new and ongoing child-related research underway at Case, and highlight implications for policy and practice.
Communications:
Regular forums are convened by the Schubert Center to stimulate an ongoing dialogue between members of the Case community and policy experts and advocates in Northeast Ohio. In addition, a directory of Case faculty with research expertise on children and childhood has been published in As Life Unfolds and also on the Schubert Center’s website. This directory is part of the continuing effort to broaden public access to university resources and to better connect faculty who have common interests.
The Child Policy Initiative is supported by funding from The George Gund Foundation and The Cleveland Foundation. Student externships and other special educational experiences for students are supported by income designated for this purpose by the Mann Endowment Fund held by the Schubert Center.
PDF brochure describing the Schubert Center's Child Policy Initiative
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