FACT Awards Grants for Youth, Families and Schools

List and description of 2001 grant awards

Learn about FACT's grant program and research projects

Seven new research initiatives focused on youth and families received more than $200,000 in grants from Michigan State University's Families And Communities Together (FACT) Coalition in 2001.

The projects will focus on at-risk mothers and grandmothers, immigrant youth and families, responsible parenting by young fathers, preparing foster care youth for college, inclusive recreation and schools, and other community-driven needs.

The grants bring FACT's total investment in children, youth and family research to $1 million since 1999. FACT's annual competitive grant program, "Innovations in University-Community Collaborations," has propelled research and outreach partnerships among MSU faculty, MSU Extension and community groups to help solve pressing social needs.

"Each of these projects reflects the essence of university-community research partnerships, namely, generating new knowledge by applying existing knowledge to solve community-defined problems," said Hiram Fitzgerald, chair of the FACT review panel, distinguished professor of psychology, and director of Applied Developmental Science.

"We are excited by the innovative approaches faculty and community partners are taking to address important contemporary issues such as the transition of immigrants to the United States, the caregiving role and responsibilities of fathers, grandparental involvement in family life and the networking of human service agencies, Fitzgerald said.

Through a rigorous review process, the funded projects proved to be scientifically significant, were innovative in approach, worked collaboratively with communities and addressed an important community need.

FACT funded projects for 2001 are:

At-Risk Mothers, Grandmothers and Infants
Project Leaders: Susan Frank, MSU Department of Psychology; Gerard Breitzer, MSU Department of Pediatrics; Tom Luster, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology; and Laurie Van Egeren, MSU Institute for Children, Youth and Families

Infants born to young, single mothers living in poverty are often at risk for abuse, poor health and nutrition, developmental delays and later academic and behavioral difficulties. This project's goal is to study grandmothers' contributions to the health and development of young, single mothers and newborn infants. The project leaders will partner with MSU Extension and the Clinton County Family Resource Center to better understand grandmothers' influence on mothers' and infants' development.

Foster Care Youth and College: Challenges in Preparing for Education After Aging Out of Care
Project Leaders: Gary Anderson, MSU School of Social Work; Chris Sullivan, MSU Department of Psychology; Deborah Dinco, Orchard Children's Services; and Douglas Miller, Catholic Social Services of Lansing-St. Vincent Home

Children in foster care are among the most vulnerable of high-risk populations. After leaving care, a disproportionate number of adolescents are without a high school diploma, unemployed, incarcerated, teenage parents and/or homeless. This project will identify and explore the major educational challenges facing children and youth in foster care and the protective factors/resources necessary to improve school achievement and increase the number of youths leaving the foster care system with the skills necessary for further educational achievements.

Inclusive Recreation for Youth: Demonstration Research Project in Kalamazoo Community
Project Leaders: Esther Onaga, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology; Rick Paulsen, MSU Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources; and Stephen Youngblood, City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department

People with disabilities are often not included as full citizens in their communities. Although there are laws supporting inclusiveness and schools are beginning to promote more inclusive educational opportunities for students in special education, the implementation of inclusive recreation falls far short. Researchers will study inclusion of special education youth in communities.

Ingham County Young Fathers Project
Project Leaders: Lorraine Weatherspoon, MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Cindy Gibbons, MSU College of Nursing; Mara Stein, Child Abuse Prevention Services; and Maxine Thome, Michigan Public Health Institute

This project will work with teen fathers who are at risk for committing child abuse and neglect. The project team will develop a research-based program to teach young fathers parenting skills, anger management, basic nutrition, and the responsibilities and importance of fatherhood. The ultimate goal is to develop a model for integrating teen father support services into communities.

Muslim Immigrants: Social, Cultural and Religious Issues of Youth, Families and Schools in the Greater Lansing Area
Project Leaders: Janine Sinno, Family and Community Development Services; Khalida Zaki, MSU Department of Sociology; and Deborah Johnson, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology

The Muslim community in the Lansing area includes immigrants from Somalia, Pakistan, Middle Eastern countries and refugees from Bosnia. This diversity of ethnicities and languages presents great challenges of adjustment for immigrant families, their children, the school system and the community. This project focuses on the social, cultural and educational issues faced by youth from the Muslim immigrant community. The goal of the research is to guide youth development and cultural education programs and to identify useful adjustment strategies for immigrants and their children.

Nutrition Education Aimed at Toddlers (NEAT): Nutrition Education for Rural Low-Income Parents/Caregivers of Children, 12 to 36 months of Age
Project Leaders: Mildred A. Omar, MSU Nursing; Sharon Hoerr, MSU Food Science and Human Nutrition; Gayle Coleman, MSU Extension/Food Science and Human Nutrition Community Partners; Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency (MMCAA); Early Head Start; Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program

This project is improving children's health by identifying informational needs and barriers to establishing healthy eating habits in young children as perceived by rural, low-income parents/caregivers. Attitudes, knowledge, practices, and interest changes in nutrition are compared between a group of Early Head Start parents/caregivers and children receiving a nutrition education program and a group receiving no intervention. (from ICYF annual report).

Strangers in a Strange Land: Building Bridges for Success
Project Leaders: Tom Luster, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology; Michael Lambert, MSU Department of Psychology; Lynne Borden, MSU Extension 4-H Youth Development; and Sherri Solomon, Catholic Social Services

This project has linked an immediate community need for resettling Sudanese refugee youth, known as "Lost Boys," in Lansing with a long term need for research on youth, human resilience and adaptation. The project leaders on this project have created a new partnership that not only will help these victims of war adjust to a new life, but will also forward our knowledge about resilience and intercultural issues.

Strengthening Connections: An Assessment of the Impacts of the Neighborhood Network Center Model on Local Partnerships
Project Leaders: Pennie Foster-Fishman, MSU Department of Psychology; Shelby Berkowitz, MSU Department of Psychology; Judy Gardi, MSU Extension-Ingham County; and Patricia Farrell, MSU University Outreach

Collaborative initiatives to connect schools, neighborhoods and community support systems are becoming increasingly popular as a means to support youth and enhance community capacity. While these efforts have shown positive impacts at the neighborhood level, this project will research their broader impact on developing partnerships among stakeholders and promoting systems change. A primary goal is to assess the network of relationships within the local community service system, examining how local institutions collaborate and work together.

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