Certificate

Emily Carroll is a second-year student in the clinical MSW program at the Boston College School of Social Work. Her interest in early childhood policy and leadership began as an undergrad in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. As someone with a range of experiences working directly with children and families, Emily has come to understand the essential nature of thoughtful, equitable, and inclusive policy and became involved in the ECPL program as a way to gain a greater understanding of the current landscape of early childhood policy and research and where she can best contribute.

Elizabeth Dowgert is a recent graduate of the M.A. in School Counseling program offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD). Her interest in early childhood policy and leadership stems from her work as a graduate assistant with City Connects. In this role, Elizabeth has been able to draw upon her experiences as an early childhood educator and engage in work that supports the translation of evidence-based insights into policies that support best practices at scale and maximize the use of available state and federal funds. Elizabeth is participating in the ECPL certificate to gain knowledge and skills which can been combined with her graduate assistantship experience and with her master’s education as a foundation for continued engagement in work that aims to create equitable systems of comprehensive supports for families and children in early education and care settings in Massachusetts and across the country.

Fanwen Kong is a second-year student in the M.A. Counseling Psychology program offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD). She has had an interest in early childhood development since her undergraduate studies where she gained internship experiences in the U.S. child welfare system and child abuse prevention programming. Her work in this role drove her to pursue a field where she could address the unmet needs of children and families involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the child welfare system. Fanwen intends to go into practice working with children and families after graduation and hopes to be able to improve her practice based on her learning and experiences in the ECPL certificate program.  

Allegra Passacantilli is in her second year of the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD) specializing in Early Childhood Education. Allegra has been fostering an interest in early childhood development since her undergraduate studies in developmental psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Allegra has a depth of knowledge gained from her role as a research assistant working to understand early learning. She is passionate about UDL pedagogy and has joined the ECPL certificate program as a way to gain more experience and knowledge about early childhood policy which can inform and promote inclusion-based educational practices. 

Catalina Rey Guerra is an advanced doctoral student in the Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology program offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD). During and after receiving her master’s degrees in public policy and economics, she has worked with several stakeholders in the public and private sectors to conduct research, policies, and programs aimed at supporting early childhood development. Currently, Catalina studies how gender stereotypes and norms across societies shape interactions between children and their caregivers which have the potential to shape learning opportunities that children encounter. Catalina is interested in leveraging her ECPL certificate experience to harness global data in collaboration with experts at the IECP and its community partners to inform policy and advocacy efforts aimed at addressing inequalities that hinder development and learning.

Caroline Santos Borges is in her second year of the M.A. in International Higher Education program offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD). Caroline received a B.S. in Law from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where she completed a thesis on the topic of education quality which is the main education principle under the Brazilian Constitution. Her interest in early childhood policy developed from practice experiences teaching and mentoring children and youth, which led her to her current graduate studies. Caroline hopes to gain further research experience and the ability to build connections across her studies as a result of participation in the ECPL certificate program.

Jenna Terio is a second-year student in the macro MSW program at the Boston College School of Social Work. She has been building a foundation of knowledge in the early childhood field since her undergraduate studies in Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. She has a passion for early childhood policy, social systems, and advocacy and hopes to pursue a career where she can work at a systems level to improve the laws and policies in place that directly impact youth and marginalized communities. Her work and educational experiences thus far have instilled in her an understanding of how policies and organizations impact the lives of children and their families and the ways in which socio-economic status, race, gender, location, health, and education intersect and intertwine. Jenna is pursuing the ECPL certificate in order to learn from and make connections with experts and leaders in the field. 

Madison Tyler is a second-year student in the clinical MSW program at the Boston College School of Social Work. As an undergraduate student at Boston University, she studied psychology and sociology where she began to develop an understanding of childhood from both micro and macro perspectives and hone her skills as a researcher in several labs focused on human development. Madison hopes to practice social work in an elementary school setting and eventually leverage the experience she gains there in order to pursue an advanced degree in human development. She sees her participation in the ECPL program as an opportunity to both enhance the effectiveness of her clinical practice and build the professional and academic skills required for future graduate training. 

Victoria Yordt is in her second year of the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy program offered by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development (LSEHD). Victoria has an interest in how arts integration in education can influence children’s social and emotional well-being, and after receiving a B.A. in International Affairs and Government/Law from Lafayette College, she developed a nonprofit organization called Artservatorey focused on bringing arts education into elementary schools and youth programs with the intention of helping students build confidence by developing communication skills, expanding empathy, and enhancing literacy. Victoria is participating in the ECPL certificate program in order to further her knowledge of early child development and its role in educational policy as well as to hone her research and advocacy skills.