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Edwards honored by American Society of Criminology for community-engaged research

From left, Katie Edwards, associate professor, CYFS and educational psychology; Lee Paiva, founder of No Means No Worldwide and IMpower United; and Ramona Herrington, Lakota Elder and activist, on a South Dakota reservation. (Photo courtesy of Katie Edwards.)

Nebraska researcher Katie Edwards has been honored by the American Society of Criminology for her community-engaged research with Native American communities.

Edwards, associate professor, CYFS and educational psychology, is this year’s winner of the ASC’s Division on Women and Crime Community Engaged Scholar Award, presented annually to a leader in teaching, outreach or scholarship initiatives defined by innovative community engagement in criminology or a closely associated discipline. Full Article

Researchers gathering eye-opening data to help ensure adequate sleep among agricultural workers

Researchers are collecting sleep data from Midwestern agricultural workers to investigate the quantity and quality of sleep among farmers and ranchers during peak and non-peak seasons. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

As anyone who has ever experienced insomnia knows, the lack of a good night’s sleep can make for a difficult morning.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, side effects of sleep deprivation include lack of concentration, attention deficits, longer reaction times, distractibility, lack of coordination, poor decision-making, increased errors and forgetfulness. Full Article

TAPP Online brings enhanced support to rural students, families and schools

CYFS researchers are working to identify an effective professional development approach to prepare school-based specialists to implement the Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP) intervention to address behavioral challenges presented by rural students. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

Research shows rural students are experiencing social-behavioral and mental health challenges at unprecedented rates, placing them at risk for long-term negative outcomes.

With the effectiveness of family-school interventions in addressing social-behavioral and mental health needs at both school and home — especially in rural settings — professional development of rural practitioners is a priority. Full Article

Help Me Grow Nebraska streamlines access to children’s health care services, resources

Researchers are collaborating with health care providers, state and county agencies, and various local organizations to build a more streamlined, equitable health system for Nebraska families and their children. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

Searching for the right health care resources — and the most efficient way to access them — can be overwhelming.

For families seeking health care for young children, the task can be even more daunting.

Early childhood health systems are often complex, siloed and disconnected, which leads to inadequate supports and services for families. Full Article

Project examines how external, internal controls in schools affect students’ opportunities to learn

An ongoing study is examining how internal school controls, such as guidelines implemented by a school’s principal, administrators and teachers, can mediate the impact of external controls from the federal, state and city level. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

When it comes to measuring student outcomes, grading individual schools can be complicated.

Although federal, state and local mandates are continually added to school-based policies and practices used to measure student performance — and hold schools accountable — research indicates that such measures have mixed effects on student achievement, graduation rates and equity in learning. Full Article

Statewide survey finds Nebraska educators can adjust to ‘virtually’ anything, but at what cost?

During spring 2020, all of Nebraska’s 983 public schools sat vacant — and all the state’s 330,000 children from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 were learning in out-of-classroom environments. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

As the COVID-19 epidemic escalated to a pandemic in early 2020, millions of Americans began working from home — and millions of students left their classrooms to continue their studies remotely.

In March 2020, all 983 Nebraska public schools sat vacant, and all the state’s 330,000 children from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 were learning in out-of-classroom environments. Full Article

Prevention program aims to reduce dating violence, problem drinking among LGBTQ+ youth

Nebraska and Colorado researchers are leading development of an online dating violence and problem drinking prevention initiative for LGBTQ+ youth ages 15 to 18. Lean more in the CYFS Research Network.

For sexual minority youth, dating violence and problem drinking are frequently intertwined, often leading to depression and even suicide.

Katie Edwards, associate professor, CYFS and educational psychology, and Heather Littleton, associate professor and director of research operations at the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs, are developing an online initiative for LGBTQ+ youth ages 15 to 18 to prevent dating violence and alcohol use. The program is the first culturally adapted and affirming program designed specifically for sexual minority youth. Full Article