The Schubert Center promotes the bridging of research and policy in undergraduate and graduate education. Experiential undergraduate courses supported by Robbie and Carol Mann include CHST 302, which allows students to spend spring break in Washington D.C. learning about federal policy, and the Mann externship, which allows students to work with a local organization on research and policy impacting children in Cleveland. This year, the Schubert Center highlighted research of undergraduates at the Case Western Reserve University annual Intersections Poster Session. All students with research focused on children and adolescents were encouraged to participate in a separate competition and awards were given thanks to the generous support of the Welter-Muzic Fellowship Program. Additionally, students at Case Western Reserve University are showing their leadership and initiative with the creation of a student organization, Art Forward, that connects undergraduate students with residents at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. This program, under the advisement of Schubert Center Policy Director, Gabriella Celeste, has flourished since its inception in 2017, boasting more than 30 student participants and impacting dozens of residents. The Freedheim Fellows continued their dissertation research in the Department of Psychology.
Mann Extern Zoë Sykes-Varnhagen worked with Invest in Children, gaining hands-on experience and career knowledge in child policy.
Aspiring to work in the nonprofit sector, Mann Extern Marissa Jones worked with Greater Cleveland Food Bank to help improve food insecurity in Ohio.
Four undergraduate students spent spring break in Washington D.C. understanding federal policy around juvenile justice, infant mortality, youth homelessness, and youth using e-cigarettes.
At the April 2019 Intersections: SOURCE Symposium and Poster Session, the Schubert Center honored undergraduate researchers whose work focused on topics related to children and childhood.
Art Forward is a student organization founded in 2017 by Case Western Reserve University students, Jasmine Lee ’19 and Maya Nayak ’19 to connect Case Western Reserve University students with residents of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. It works to promote empathy, creativity, and self-reflection through meaningful engagement and art.
Freedheim Fellows
Laura Hlavaty, MA is a fifth year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at CWRU with a specialization in children and families. Her research focuses on understanding cognitive, emotional, and social difficulties faced by youth diagnosed with ADHD.
Olena Zyga, MA is a fourth year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at CWRU with a specialization in children and families. Her research focuses on better understanding social cognitive aspects of both typical and atypical development, including factors such as pretend play, imagination, emotion regulation, and social interactions.