University Highlights Commitment to Children, Youth, and Families
This fall the University of Minnesota announced the establishment of the All University-Community Consortium on Children, Youth and Families. Within the University, the Consortium aims to acknowledge and better coordinate the impressive pool of talent across departments and programs interested in issues touching the lives of children, youth, and families. In addition, it hopes to connect this expertise with agencies throughout • Minnesota that already serve children youth, and families and to create synergy in the service of achieving their goals.
The Consortium was conceptualized by University and community leaders over the course of the last several years. Last spring, the Consortium sponsored a panel which included researchers and community representatives like FSOS faculty member Pauline Boss and Minneapolis Mayor Don Fraser, among others.
On Halloween, amidst the first significant snowfall of the season (which grew into a record breaking 28″ in the Twin Cities), a Kick-Off Event was held at the Bell Museum of Natural History. The event was hosted by Consortium Chair Richard Weinberg, President Nils Hasselmo, Vice-President C. Eugene Allen, and Regent Peggy Craig. Special guests were children from Twin Cities schools who were treated to face painters, pumpkin decorators, and the music of the Golden Gophers band. Helen Kivnick from the School of Social Work treated the audience to a rendition of her song, “Hurrah for the Baby of Fall,” which signaled an auspicious beginning for this long-awaited enterprise.
A detailed Action Plan has been drafted by the Consortium’s Steering Committee, and was recently distributed to over 400 faculty soliciting their involvement. Goals in the areas of teaching, research, outreach, and advocacy have been outlined. For example, in the area of outreach, the Consortium hopes to be the community’s “gateway” to the resources of the University of Minnesota for issues concerning children, youth, and families. In addition, the Consortium plans to work in cooperation with the Minnesota Extension Service, whose mission it is to bring the University’s research knowledge to the people of the state.
College of Human Ecology representatives on the Steering and Executive Committees are Geraldine Kearse-Brookins (School of Social Work) and Hal Grotevant (Department of Family Social Science.)