2024-04-26
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What does it take to break a cycle of generational poverty?
This difficult question provides daily motivation for Lisa Sheltra, director of community engagement at Salt & Light, a ministry with storefronts in Champaign and Urbana. From a spiritual perspective, Sheltra explains, generational poverty is a whole-person experience.
“Many people living in situations of financial need require not just material goods or services but also power and control over their own situation,” said Sheltra. “This represents an enormous shift in thinking...
2024-04-12 - A team of researchers is calling for comprehensive changes to U.S. health care and social policies to improve diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions and mitigate the dramatic disparities that put women of color at significantly greater risks of morbidity and mortality compared with white women. In a commentary published in the journal Health Affairs, the researchers proposed seven comprehensive changes to health care and economic policies to mitigate the burden of undiagnosed and untreated perinatal mental health challenges that are greatest among racial minority...
2024-03-25 - Mental health struggles, body image issues, incidents of bullying—these are just some of the topics that groups of high school students in Champaign-Urbana and Danville, Ill., are currently exploring as their collective research interest. As early as next week, each group will select one topic and then, with adult guidance, create solutions for their chosen problem and draft policy applications. This process is known as youth participatory action research, or YPAR, which positions young people as co-researchers alongside adults like teachers, health educators, church elders or out-of-school...
2024-03-25 - Central to youth development programs is “spark,” a term that describes the process of enkindling a self-discovered skill, talent or interest that may lead to fulfillment or a greater sense of purpose. According to a common model of 4-H youth development, “spark” can put young people on the path to thriving. Amy Leman, an assistant professor in the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Program (ALEC) and Collaboratory member at the Family Resiliency Center (FRC), wants to...
2024-03-12 - Early childhood is an important time for learning about nutrition and establishing healthy eating behaviors. Young children rely on parents to provide food options, and the availability of food in the home affects their dietary choices. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at...
2024-02-20 - As an undergraduate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Allen Barton majored in civil engineering. Then, as he pursued his master’s in engineering at Illinois, Barton was exposed to research in social and family psychology. Suddenly his focus shifted from physical materials and sturdy structures to mental states and interiority. “I was investigating what makes engineers tick, and then I realized—wait, I can actually do this research in families,” said Barton, an assistant professor and Extension specialist in human...
2024-02-13 - The Family Resiliency Center (FRC) and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invite applications for a Visiting Senior Research Scientist. We strive to Make Thriving the Norm for families, children, youth, and communities. We seek a promising or established academic professional team member committed to the vision, mission, and strategic plan of the Center with a passion for community-based participatory research, translation...- 2023-10-20 - The Autism Program (TAP) and the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative (INI) have been busy! On Monday, October 16, we attended the 2023 UIUC Mental Health Fair where we interacted with students and faculty from across the campus. Many were interested in the TAP internship and several were given information about classes that will be offered next semester for neurodivergent UIUC students. October 17-20, Jeanne Kramer, Director of TAP/INI attended the College Autism Summit (CAS) in Nashville Tennessee. On Tuesday the 17th, UConn hosted a Neurodiversity Employment Symposium and INI was invited...
2023-09-26 - URBANA, Ill. – Educational programs that promote mental and physical health can help young people – particularly in environments of chronic stress and trauma exposure – learn healthy coping strategies, avoid risky behaviors, and succeed in school. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that a school-based mindfulness program is beneficial for Black high school students in urban communities. “These are low cost, highly scalable, and highly sustainable...
2023-07-31 - URBANA, Ill. — Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an approach that connects academic researchers with community partners to inform project development. Where traditional research is often done “to” people, treating them as subjects with no agency, CBPR is a cooperative process incorporating the knowledge and direction of community members. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators explores CBPR implementation in a project on criminal...
2023-02-23 - URBANA, Ill. – The Family Resiliency Center (FRC) at the University of Illinois celebrated the launch of a new strategic plan with a reception for friends and associates in February. The FRC is dedicated to conducting research and providing resources to address major problems facing families and communities. The center is housed in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. “Our...
2022-12-02 - Illinois students and faculty attended and presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting in Boston, the country’s largest conference related to public health. Graduate students in the Master of Public Health program and Ph.D. students from the departments of Community Health, Kinesiology, and Human Development & Family Studies participated in vibrant sessions on social justice and health equity and the role of community health workers. Participants also presented their research on public health topics related to aging, physical activity, and global health....
2022-10-05 - URBANA, Ill. – Each year the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois honors outstanding ACES alumni. Recipients are chosen in the categories of Outstanding Young Alumni, Career Achievement, Award of Merit, and ACES Family Spirit. The 2022 recipients were honored during the annual ACES Alumni Awards Gala Mon., October 24, at Pear Tree Estate in Champaign. ACES Alumni Award of Merit recipients: Lee Denzer, of Kewanee - BS '82 animal sciences; MS '85 animal evaluation Brandon Meline, of Champaign - MS '01 nutritional sciences...
2022-06-28 - FRC Director Jacinda Dariotis is one of 10 Illinois faculty members who will contribute her expertise in a broad range of disciplines to Carle Illinois College of Medicine, as part of the latest and largest-to-date cohort of Health Innovation Professors (HIP). Dr. Dariotis and fellow HIP members will collaborate with Carle Illinois students, physicians, and other health care providers to pursue cutting-edge health-related research and innovation, with the goal of creating new opportunities for funding from government agencies, industry, and foundations. Read more from the...
2022-06-24 - CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Incoming freshmen at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this fall with autism spectrum disorder can take part in a new program that will offer a variety of support to help them succeed at college and beyond. The Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative pilot program will offer autism-specific services to promote students’ academic, social and professional success.. Often used in reference to autism, neurodiversity also comprises conditions such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in which the brain functions,...