adult staff relationships

By Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Ph.D., Senior Scholar Q: What do Play-Doh, Bubble Wrap, Post-It Notes, and treadmills have in common? A: They were all created for one purpose and were found to be very useful for something very different.* Those four famous switch-ups are in a class of their own. However, they offer an analogy […]

advancing justice and equity

By Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Ph.D., Senior Scholar Diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI). Racial equity. Racial justice. Each term has its own emphasis and meaning. And together, along with many others, they point to a broad and deep current social challenge facing not only the United States, but the world. How do we treat one another and […]

By Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Ph.D., Senior Scholar Kurt Lewin (1890 – 1947)—a pioneer in social psychology, “action research,” and organizational development—is widely quoted as saying a two things (among many others): “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” “If you want truly to understand something, try to change it.” 1 The intentional dialectical […]

By Ellen Bergstrom, Project Coordinator for the Relationships for Outcomes (ROI) Initiative In early March, just before non-essential travel was cancelled and daily life in the U.S. changed dramatically with the COVID-19 pandemic, I traveled to San Pedro, California to visit Toberman Neighborhood Center, which joins with National Center for Families Learning as part of […]

equity in developmental relationships

By Jenna Sethi, Search Institute Research Scientist How can developmental relationships advance racial and socioeconomic equity among young people? That is a critical question for the 2020s in a society burdened by deep and growing inequities. The gaps that reinforce historical marginalization and discrimination are experienced far too often by our young people across the […]