CRECE Seeks Applications for Undergraduate Research Fellows Program

July 27, 2021   |   By WCER Communications

The Center for Research on Early Childhood Education (CRECE) invited applications for a new undergraduate research fellowship program funded through a generous contribution from Sue and George Krug and the School of Education’s Impact 2030 initiative.

The program’s goal is to diversify the research communities that address early childhood education issues. CRECE hopes to do this by providing mentored research experiences to traditionally underrepresented and other minoritized undergraduate students. Unique among education research centers in its whole-child, ecological approach to research—as well as its multi-tiered approach to stakeholder engagement—CRECE’s work focuses on children ages 0-8, their families and communities.

Fellows will work with both faculty and graduate students on current CRECE research projects. In these fellowships, students will experience:

  • Active engagement in a CRECE research project.
  • Mentoring by a faculty member and a graduate student.
  • Participation in a weekly workshop.
  • A culminating project report representing work during the fellowship period (approved by mentor).
  • An hourly stipend of $12.75/hr.

The program will run from September 8, 2021-May 6, 2022, and a commitment to both semesters is expected. Successful applicants were asked to register for one research credit with Amy Claessens or Beth Graue. Applications were due August 15.

Applications were made online and evaluated for their commitment to and interest in early childhood education; their fit with current CRECE research projects and mentors; and their vision for how this experience would benefit their professional development and diversification of the early childhood research community.

Applicants who met one or more of the following criteria were considered:

  • Are from a racial/ethnic minority group: African-American, Latino/Hispanic, Native Alaskan or Native Pacific Islander, Native American, Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, or Vietnamese, admitted to the U.S. after 12/31/1975) and biracial/multiracial.
  • Are from a low-income household.
  • Are first in their family to attend college.
  • Have a documented disability.