Here are some of the key highlights from our research endeavors during the past year
Student Research Opportunities
We are proud to continue our partnership with the CWRU Emerging Scholars Program for the Schubert Research Fellows program, allowing us to match three talented undergraduate students with Schubert Associates. These fellows have received a paid, mentored, semester-long research experience focusing on child or adolescent-focused issues. Their research culminated in poster presentations at the CWRU Intersections event on Friday, April 21, 2023.
This year, we collaborated with the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) to establish the Welter-Muzic-Emerging Scholars Fellowship, providing grants of up to $1,500 to support ESP sophomores and juniors in their ongoing child-focused research endeavors. Fellows work closely with dedicated mentors, engage in professional development activities, and contribute to advancing research on child or adolescent issues.
Open Doors Academy (ODA)
The Schubert Center Postdoctoral Scholar, Dr. Amy Fisher, has been integral to our research focus this past year, particularly concerning our collaboration with Open Doors Academy (ODA). ODA is an organization dedicated to after-school programs for students in underperforming Cleveland area schools with the goal of enhancing student achievement, social-emotional learning, and parental involvement. Dr. Fisher oversaw the production of the mid-year and year-end reports and also analyzed ODA data to answer unique questions about social-emotional learning that occurs through their programming elements.
To further strengthen our commitment to community-based research and program evaluation, we have hired a program and evaluation manager to oversee our collaboration with Open Doors Academy (ODA) and participate in other center research initiatives. The new Program Coordinator began on June 22, 2023, and is responsible for managing the implementation of evaluation goals, coordinating evaluation activities, conducting data management and analysis, preparing reports, and providing technical assistance. Through this collaboration, we aim to provide useful information that can enhance the effectiveness and impact of ODA's programs.
2022-2023 Freedheim Fellow
Alexandra Piedra: A fifth-year clinical psychology doctoral candidate specializing in the child and family track, Alexandra received the Schubert Center’s Freedheim Graduate Student Fellowship to support her doctoral research. Her research interests focus on improving interventions for child anxiety, emphasizing tailoring treatments based on patient contextual factors. Her work contributes to developing more accessible and effective treatments for children dealing with anxiety-related issues.
Advisory groups and consultation
We support various community child-focused groups that enhance family and child well-being. This support is provided through general child development research information and project evaluation consultation by Drs. Minnes and Dimitropoulos. Over the past year, we have actively participated with Invest in Children, United Way, and Cleveland Housing Partners, who introduced Family Space and Scholar House. Through our involvement in advisory boards and evaluation committees, we continue to gain valuable knowledge about Cleveland's efforts to support our children's well-being. Research Director Sonia Minnes has served on the Scholar House Steering Committee and Evaluation Committee, Family Space Evaluation Committee, Safe Babies Court of Cuyahoga County and has advised members of the School-Based Health team at MetroHealth Medical Center and serves on an advisory group whose goal is to advise Cleveland Municipal Schools on education and interventions for children with elevated lead levels. Dr. Minnes also served as an advisor on the Open Doors Academy evaluation project.