Inside Erikson | May 2025

May 2025 – Welcome to the May edition of the Inside Erikson newsletter.

This month, we’re celebrating milestones, gratitude and new beginnings. So far, we’ve had the privilege of celebrating the achievements of our graduates at our 2025 Commencement ceremony on May 5 at the Goodman Theatre. It was a beautiful day filled with pride, joy and hope for the future as we watched the next generation of early childhood leaders take their well-deserved steps forward. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day memorable for our graduates, and keep an eye as we work to update our 2025 Commencement webpage with photos and videos from the event.

This week, we also celebrate the incredible educators who make a lasting impact every day during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9) and Teacher Appreciation Day (May 6). At Erikson, we are constantly reminded of just how much our teachers inspire, support and empower their students—and we’re honored to recognize their dedication.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance founded by Mental Health America (MHA) in 1949 to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing, educate the public, reduce stigma and promote support for people affected by mental health conditions. Check out MHA’s calendar of tips for self-care and wellbeing ideas.

Erikson Updates

Erikson’s FAN introduced to the Plunket Program in New Zealand

Congratulations to Tori Graham (pictured above on the far right), Director of Training and Dissemination, who has recently taken the Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN) model to New Zealand. In early April, Tori along with National FAN Roll-Out Lead, Anne Hodren traveled to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland to progress the rollout of FAN training at Whānau Āwhina Plunket. The Plunket program is internationally renowned for being one of the only nationwide supports for new parents. The program’s new facilitators were thrilled to have Anne and Tori’s wealth of experience in the room as they led their first training session. Feedback was positive, with one nurse reflecting that, “This training will help my practice immensely and provide a positive experience when I’m visiting families.” This is a major accomplishment for Tori, Linda and the entire FAN team!

Learn more about “Child Life” in our new series of articles

A master’s degree in Child Development with a concentration in Child Life puts Erikson alums on a rewarding career path. We are raising awareness about our renowned Child Life program in a series of articles. Read the first one here and the second one here. Revisit our “News and Press” page for future installments.

Wellness Through the Arts Highlighted in Spring Series Event

A large crowd of Erikson faculty, staff, students and community members gathered on the evening of April 30 to enjoy excellent food and fellowship before participating in an extraordinary event that highlighted the connection between mental health and art. “Firedance” combined innovative jazz music with brilliant spoken word performances. Opened with original poetry read by Erikson’s Director of Marketing, Catherine Esther Cowie, whose inaugural collection, “Heirloom” was just released, the event also featured Emmy Award Winning artist and scholar Dr. Lasana Kazembe who read his original poetry, backed by Brandon Meeks on bass and Kenny Phelps on drums. The atmosphere was electric with energy and emotion, and the cathartic power of the arts was on full display. Erikson’s Spring Series was organized by Dr. Ayanna Brown, Vice President of Strategic Growth and Partnerships as an extension of Erikson’s annual luncheon theme on mental health.

Visiting Scholars Enrich Erikson’s Work

Erikson has long been a destination for visiting scholars seeking to learn about early childhood. These visits, which can range from weeks to months, are mutually beneficial opportunities to exchange ideas and strengthen relationships with colleagues across the country and globe. In early April, Erikson hosted two faculty members from the University of Iceland for an exchange of ideas around early childhood education. Please read more about their visit here. We also recently welcomed Visiting Professor Katie Hamm, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the federal agency that oversees Head Start. Katie is working on a one-year project to explore and document how federal policy levers work and how to use them to support systems change in the early childhood landscape and workforce. You can read all about Katie and her work here.

Meghan Green’s co-authors new chapter in “Youth Resistance for Educational Justice: Pedagogical Dreaming from the Classroom to the Streets”

Erikson’s Assistant Professor Meghan L. Green, EdD. along with Drs. Kelly R. Allen, Crystasany R. Turner, Nathaniel Stewart, Jéri L. Ogden, and Michele Turner recently published a chapter titled, “Centering Black Children’s Worldmaking Visions: Considering What It Means to Co-Facilitate Liberatory Space to Freedom Dream With Black Children” in the edited book “Youth Resistance for Educational Justice: Pedagogical Dreaming from the Classroom to the Streets.” In this chapter, they conceptualize their roles as a collective of Black scholars preparing to engage in a large-scale, national study that centers Black children’s worldmaking visions in recommendations for educational policy, praxis and pedagogy. Through a series of “kitchen table talks,” this chapter centers their reflections of three essential considerations for adults co-creating freedom dreaming spaces with children: 1) how can adults truly co-create liberatory spaces with children, 2) if they are to co-create liberatory spaces for Black freedom dreaming, how must they extend their ancestral (re)connections to heal their minds, bodies and spirits, and 3) how must they co-create space to listen, learn share and build alongside children to fully realize the goal of co-facilitating a space for transformative freedom dreaming? Read the chapter here.

About Erikson

Graduate Education

Recognized for our groundbreaking work in the field of early childhood, Erikson specializes in preparing child development, education, and social work leaders to improve the lives of young children, families, and their communities. For more information on our degree and certificate programs, visit our website or email our admissions team.

Policy and Leadership

Erikson’s Policy and Leadership department engages leaders in government, business, and nonprofit sectors to inform effective policies that benefit children and families. They offer unique programming that equips decision-makers and influencers with the resources, skills, and deep knowledge about early childhood development that will support their efforts to make lasting change.

Learn more about our Policy and Leadership

Make a Difference — Refer a Friend to Erikson Institute

Know a passionate early childhood educator or social worker looking to advance their career? Refer them to Erikson! You’ll help them achieve their goals, expand their impact and grow their network. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win referral prizes including a $100 Amazon gift card or $50 in Erikson merch.

Refer someone today

Give to Erikson

The first 1,800 days of life set the stage for a child’s long-term physical and emotional health, socioeconomic trajectory, life expectancy, happiness, and well-being. Can we count on you to make a gift to strengthen our ability to serve children and families, as well as our students, faculty, and staff, during this time? Your support for Erikson prepares the heroes in young children’s lives—teachers, social workers, civic leaders, parents and caregivers—to get them safely through this crisis so they can soar into promising futures.

PLEASE DONATE HERE