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Inside Erikson | August 2022

a monthly comm(unity) newsletter

August 2022 – Welcome to the August edition of the Inside Erikson newsletter!

The excitement around a new school year starting later this month is filling the halls of Erikson. New faculty are settling into their offices, academic leadership is meeting around new programming, new students are being oriented, and everyone is looking forward to Fall term.

Erikson Updates

Illinois Early Learning Council Appointment

We are pleased to announce that President Dr. Mariana Souto-Manning has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Illinois Early Learning Council. The Council is part of the Governor’s Office of Child Development, and members are appointed for three-year terms by Governor J.B. Pritzker. The Council is composed of individuals who are striving for equity and justice in the early childhood field. Congratulations, Dr. Souto-Manning for your appointment to a leadership role on the Council!

Find more information


Executive Fellows Program

Congratulations to the Policy and Leadership team for launching its 2022 Executive Fellows program. The program kicks off this week August 3-5, 2022, with the fellows returning to Erikson for a second session September 28-30, 2022. The program provides Illinois leaders in the legislative, legal, educational, governmental, and other sectors connected to early childhood with a comprehensive understanding of the long-term benefits of quality early childhood experiences.

Learn more about the program and the remarkable members of the 2022 cohort


PreK Implementation in Family Child Care Project

Congratulations to Erikson researchers Juliet Bromer and Sam Melvin, Patricia Molloy, Leanett Reinoso, and their research colleagues from the Equity Research Action Coalition, and the University of Delaware for launching their major new research project with a successful online seminar on July 14. The research team presented to a large audience on the strategies, successes, and challenges for implementing public PreK programs in family child care settings across states and localities in the U.S.

Learn more about their research


Congratulations to Erikson alum, Lydia Bowers, MSECE ’22! She is an author and educator writing children’s books around bodily autonomy, consent, and sexual health education. Her book series We Say What’s Okay, focused on consent foundations for preschoolers, is available now!

Find more information here


Congratulations to Atena Danner, Associate Director of Learning and Facilitation! She has published her first book titled “Incantations for Rest.”


Erikson Institute Presents Professional Development for the TEAACH Act - Pre-K to Grade 8 | Teaching Asian American History, Culture & Literature for Young Children | August 16 & 17 9 AM - Noon 6 ISBE PD Hours Online • $300 | Register Today

Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH)

In 2021, the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) act passed to ensure that public elementary and high school students in Illinois learn about Asian American history. To support this act, join Samina Hadi-Tabassum, EdD and Jung Kim, PhD, on August 16 and 17, 2022, Erikson will hold a two-day online professional development workshop that will address how to integrate Asian American history, culture and literature into the PreK to Grade 8 curricula. This professional development offers 6.0 ISBE PD hours.

Learn more and register


Free Webinar Gun Violence and Children: Practical ways to provide mental health support (virtual information session) Speakers: Andria Goss - Associate Vice President of Clinical and Community Services; Sara Anderson-Phou - Director, Center for Children and Families; Thay Guirguis - Home Visiting Clinical Supervisor DCFS Early Childhood Project | August 18, 2022 | Noon - 1 PM CST

CCF to host Webinar on Supporting Children’s Mental Health in the Wake of Gun Violence

The recent mass shootings in Highland Park Illinois, Uvalde Texas, and Buffalo New York have impacted the national consciousness in addition to devastating the lives of victims’ families. Meanwhile, ongoing gun violence in neighborhoods can create a chronic state of trauma for community members living in an environment with frequent non-mass shootings.  Erikson’s early childhood mental health experts created this opportunity as a resource for our community to gain helpful information and tips. On August 18, 2022, from Noon to 1p.m. CST, we will host a virtual webinar covering the impact of trauma on young children, supports and strategies for caregivers and how to gauge when help is needed. The event is not intended to be a therapeutic session but will give attendees valuable information and insights to help young children.

Register Today


Erikson Institute Annual Luncheon | November 2, 2022 | Featuring Michelle Obama, Honoring Cari Sacks

2022 Annual Luncheon

Erikson’s Annual Luncheon on November 2, 2022, is quickly approaching! 2022’s Spirit of Erikson Honoree is Trustee Cari Sacks with featured guest Michelle Obama.

See luncheon details

Information on individual tickets will be added soon.

Trustee Spotlight

Erikson Institute has a wonderful group of life trustees and board members, and we are thrilled to share more about them and their commitment to the organization with you. We hope that you enjoy reading about these lovely individuals as much as we have enjoyed interviewing them.

Meet our August featured Trustee, Cathy Adduci

Cathy Adduci

Name: Cathy Adduci

Erikson Trustee Since: 1997

Cathy’s calling to Erikson began with seeing Erikson Institute as a game changer for families and communities and she’s been passionate and involved ever since she joined the Board of Trustees 25 years ago.

What motivates you to support Erikson?  

CA: The more I got involved with Erikson I learned how Irving and Barbara started to teach the concept of early childhood development, care, and education. To this day you see how Erikson makes a difference and continues to move the needle in all initiatives. And, with Mariana’s leadership it dovetails into the vision and mission of the founders.

What is your one hope or dream for Erikson?  

CA: My hope is that it continues to be a premier institute that it is today, and it continues to make a difference. Early childhood care and education is the most important area that we can make a difference in equity and social justice.

What is a fun fact (or two) about you that you’d like to share?  

CA: I am proudly serving as the Village Board President for River Forest, and another fun fact is that I was an Andy Frain Usherette during my high school years. Andy Frain was a premier usher service at sporting venues and cultural Institutions, and I had a front row seat to Cubs and Sox games, ballets, and rock concerts. My most memorable concert was the rock band, Chicago.

Erikson in the News

Congratulations to professor Samina Hadi-Tabassum, faculty director of School and Community Partnerships and director of the Master of Science in Child Development and Child Life programs for her published article titled, “Young Bilingual Children Navigating Languages” in Exchange: The Early Childhood Leader’s Magazine.

Read the article

About Erikson

Graduate Education

Recognized for our groundbreaking work in the field of early childhood, Erikson specializes in preparing child development, education, and social work leaders to improve the lives of young children, families, and their communities. For more information on our degree and certificate programs, visit our website or email our admissions team.

Clinical and Community Services

Erikson’s Center for Children and Families offers pediatric mental health services for children birth to age 8 and their families. Services can be provided in both English and Spanish, and are available to families regardless of their ability to pay.

Policy and Leadership

Erikson’s Policy and Leadership department engages leaders in government, business, and nonprofit sectors to inform effective policies that benefit children and families. They offer unique programming that equips decision-makers and influencers with the resources, skills, and deep knowledge about early childhood development that will support their efforts to make lasting change.

Learn more about our Policy and Leadership

Give to Erikson

The first 1,100 days of life set the stage for a child’s long-term physical and emotional health, socioeconomic trajectory, life expectancy, happiness, and well-being. Can we count on you to make a gift to strengthen our ability to serve children and families, as well as our students, faculty, and staff, during this time? Your support for Erikson prepares the heroes in young children’s lives—teachers, social workers, civic leaders, parents and caregivers—to get them safely through this crisis so they can soar into promising futures.

Please donate here

More Ways to Connect

Learn more about Erikson’s Early Math Collaborative and TEC Center.

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