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Celebrating 20 years of Research, Collaboration and Positive Impacts

STRENGTH IN PARTNERSHIP

Since 2004, CYFS has expanded in size, scope, and reach — but its success remains rooted in strong partnerships. Thank you to the hundreds of partners, including participants, researchers, staff, scholars, schools and other collaborators, who have embraced the center’s mission and contributed to our research impact.

View full interviews featuring some of the individuals who have helped CYFS create lasting impacts through research and collaboration.

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History of CYFS

In 2002, a group of faculty came together with a bold idea: to create an interdisciplinary research center focused on making a positive difference in people's lives, as well as the systems and contexts that shape them. In 2004, their vision became a reality. Here's a short history of CYFS, including key events and milestones that led to the center’s growth over the past two decades.

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Faculty retreat
October 2002
CYFS begins its journey with an interdisciplinary retreat at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, gathering 31 faculty, three deans and two vice chancellors. Together, they identify strengths and forge partnerships that lay the foundation for two decades of research innovation.
Program of Excellence
June 2003
The University of Nebraska’s Board of Regents approves the Nebraska Research Alliance on Children, Youth, Families and Schools as a Program of Excellence, one of the first 14 such programs designated by the university.
CYFS Founded
February 2004
The NU Board of Regents formally establishes the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, housed within UNL's newly formed College of Education and Human Sciences. Starting with two faculty researchers and a few graduate assistants and staff members, the center extends its reach by establishing formal affiliations with 62 faculty from across the University of Nebraska within its first year.
Making a Home in Mabel Lee Hall
October 2005
CYFS takes up residence in a newly remodeled space in Mabel Lee Hall. Located on UNL’s City Campus, 216 Mabel Lee becomes the center’s hub for research activities and daily operations.
RtI Consortium
August 2006
Funded by the Nebraska Department of Education, CYFS leads the launch of the first statewide Response-to-Intervention Consortium to help students improve their reading skills. This initiative leads to a long-term partnership with NDE’s Multi-tiered System of Support program.
Rural Education Research Center
July 2009
CYFS earns a five-year, $10 million U.S. Department of Education grant to establish the National Center for Research on Rural Education (R²Ed). R²Ed focuses on improving reading and science learning in rural communities by identifying effective, evidence-based instructional practices through national surveys, virtual coaching and assessment.
CYFS Early Childhood Research Summit
April 2010
The center hosts its first Early Childhood Research Summit, sharing evidence-based practices and building connections among practitioners, policymakers and researchers from across Nebraska. The summit becomes a biennial event and continues to strengthen statewide partnerships and early childhood collaborations today.
National Family-School Working Meeting
September 2010
CYFS hosts a national working meeting to advance family-school partnership research and its translation into practice, bringing together leading scholars from 18 academic institutions. The event sparks ongoing collaborations, leading to one federally funded grant and a five-volume book series, which continues to be published.
A Second Home in Whittier
October 2011
As CYFS rapidly expands, multiple units and research teams relocate from Mabel Lee Hall to the renovated Prem S. Paul Research Center at Whittier School. Given the center’s significant work to support teachers and students, it is fitting that one of its offices resides in a building that is one of the nation’s oldest junior high schools.
MAP Academy
October 2013
CYFS launches the Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics (MAP Academy), an expansion of the Statistics and Research Methodology Unit. MAP Academy promotes the advancement of methodologies, applied analytics and data infrastructure to support rigorous research within the social, behavioral, health and educational sciences across the University of Nebraska and beyond.
Research Fellowship Program
January 2014
The center opens applications for its inaugural CYFS Research Fellowship Program. The fellowship provides up to two faculty members with a year of dedicated support to deepen and broaden their research.
CYFS Turns 10
February 2014
CYFS reflects on a decade of success, learning experiences and significant growth. Milestones include more than $52 million in cumulative grant dollars and 127 funded projects contributing to its growth and positive impacts. Personnel growth is equally impressive with 12 research faculty and nearly a dozen staff members.
Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
September 2015
CYFS establishes the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR), a key partner in UNL’s early childhood research efforts. NAECR connects the state’s practice, policy and research communities, and leverages interdisciplinary research and partnerships to improve education, development, and the environments where young children learn and grow.
Nebraska-Brazil Early Childhood Partnership
May 2016
Following a 2016 workshop in São Paulo, Brazil, UNL and the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation formalize a global partnership to tackle early childhood challenges through interdisciplinary research collaboration. This partnership leads to three pilot projects conducted jointly in the U.S. and Brazil, yielding cross-cultural insights and fostering additional collaborations.
Early Learning Network
June 2016
CYFS becomes the lead for the Early Learning Network, a national, multi-year research initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The network, which includes six teams from across the U.S., identifies policies and practices to narrow opportunity gaps and help children maintain early learning success. CYFS also secures funding to conduct the Learning Frontiers study across Nebraska.
Nebraska Department of Education NeMTSS Partnership
July 2018
CYFS formalizes its partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education through the Nebraska Multi-tiered System of Support (NeMTSS) program. CYFS provides professional learning, implementation support and web/communication services. This collaboration traces its roots back to CYFS’ collaboration with NDE’s Response-to-Intervention program.
NAECR Policy Fellows Program
October 2018
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) launches its Policy Fellows Program with First Five Nebraska. The annual program enhances policy knowledge among early childhood researchers, provides policymakers with research insights and fosters collaboration to develop effective research agendas.
CYFS Research Network
September 2019
The CYFS Research Network becomes a reality with the launch of an online platform that connects social, behavioral and educational researchers from across the University of Nebraska. The network includes more than 90 CYFS Research Affiliates who conduct research in partnership with the center.
New Home in Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall
September 2022
A new era for CYFS begins with the opening of Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall, a four-story facility that is home to the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences. The main floor office provides additional collaboration space for center’s growing community. The building is dedicated to Carolyn Pope Edwards, a leading CYFS researcher who co-created the Getting Ready intervention and contributed to numerous CYFS studies.
CYFS turns 20
February 2024
CYFS celebrates 20 years of research, collaboration and positive impacts, reflecting on the countless individuals who have contributed to its journey of growth and success. Milestones include more than $145 million in cumulative grant dollars and nearly 400 funded projects. The CYFS community continues to grow, with approximately 70 faculty, staff, postdocs and students.

Impacts

The following metrics are conservative estimates of our research impacts in Nebraska and beyond over the past 20 years.

314,404

An estimated 314,000 infants, children and adolescents have engaged in CYFS research.

78,244

More than 78,000 children ages 0-5, along with their families, have participated in CYFS research.

3,262

More than 3,200 early childhood settings and K-12 schools have engaged in CYFS research in the U.S. and abroad.

$148.9M

CYFS’ research programs have generated approximately $148,969,402 in grant support.

156

CYFS has partnered with more than 150 rural communities in Nebraska and across the U.S.

28,168

More than 28,000 educators in early childhood settings and K-12 schools have participated in CYFS research.

425

More than 400 graduate and undergraduate students have engaged in CYFS research and other scholarly activities.

392

CYFS has supported nearly 400 funded research grants.

CYFS' statewide impact includes research activities in all 93 counties across Nebraska.

Map of where CYFS Research is taking place in Nebraska communities.

Key Programs That Work

Explore the following research programs with a proven track record of effectiveness for participants. These are a sampling of the rigorous, high-quality research programs housed within CYFS that impact lives — from infancy through adulthood.

Encouraging Family Engagement

Getting Ready is an evidence-based family engagement approach that boosts learning and development among children ages 5 and younger by strengthening relationships among children, parents and educators.

Getting Ready has benefited more than 5,500 children 0-5 years, their families, and 620 early childhood educators across Nebraska and the Midwest.
Preschool children receiving the Getting Ready program were better than 75% of their peers in handling their emotions, managing their behavior and developing sustaining relationships; and tested better than 80% of their peers in language and early reading abilities.
After participating in Getting Ready, educators were significantly more confident offering parents opportunities to problem solve and make joint decisions about children.

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Promoting Healthy Kids

EAT Family Style is an innovative, web-based professional development program for child care providers across Nebraska. The program is used by child care staff to promote young children’s nutrition using evidence-based responsive feeding practices. EAT Family Style has been shown to improve children’s eating habits, autonomy and healthy food choices, which have benefits for their health into adulthood.

Children participating in EAT Family Style tend to eat more fruits, vegetables and healthy grains than non-participating children.
Providers report children exposed to EAT Family Style are more engaged during meals, and have expanded their vocabularies through mealtime conversations.
Participating providers improved responsive feeding practices and showed more positive role modeling.

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Promoting Partnerships

Teachers and Parents as Partners, or TAPP, is a research-based, problem-solving intervention that improves student outcomes and parent-teacher partnerships in schools. School specialists receive TAPP training and use the approach to support teachers and parents as they implement consistent and effective plans to solve students’ behavioral and academic challenges.

More than 700 struggling students and their parents and teachers across hundreds of schools have benefitted from TAPP.
Students receiving TAPP performed better than two-thirds of their peers on measures of academic performance, social skills and positive behaviors.
TAPP benefits for teachers include improved classroom climate, better relationships with parents and enhanced management skills for students with behavioral issues.

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Supporting the Workforce

Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators, known as CHIME, was created by Nebraska Extension to support early childhood educators’ well-being, enabling them to thrive in their roles and continue to contribute to Nebraska’s strong communities and workforce. The professional development intervention promotes mindfulness, self-compassion, reflection and social-emotional learning.

More than 500 teachers impacting more than 4,500 children across Nebraska have benefitted from participating in the CHIME program. A newly added CHIME+Families approach, delivered in both English and Spanish, has benefitted more than 50 families to date.
Teachers participating in CHIME performed better than 79% of their peers on measures of mental well-being and 70% of their peers on measures of emotional health.
CHIME implementation has expanded and is now being practiced in 14 U.S. states and three countries in South America, Asia and Africa.

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NebraskaSTEM

Enhancing STEM Access

NebraskaSTEM is designed to foster sustainable educational leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within high-needs rural schools. The program develops educational leadership by supporting elementary school teachers in delivering high-quality STEM instruction to their K-6 students and sharing knowledge within their communities.

NebraskaSTEM trained a cohort of 14 teachers who completed a 14-month graduate degree program. All are still teaching.
Despite having scarce professional development opportunities, rural teachers are taking initiative in their own classrooms, schools and communities to create and enhance STEM learning opportunities.
Teachers have led innovative activities, such as makerspace projects and STEM-oriented events. One teacher organized a “STEM Night” in her community, which attracted nearly 80% of the town’s population.

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CYFS Research Network

The CYFS Research Network includes nearly 100 CYFS Research Affiliates — faculty representing nearly 30 academic departments across the University of Nebraska system whose work significantly contributes to Nebraska’s vibrant research community in the social, behavioral and educational sciences.

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