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Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood DevelopmentFaculty Co-Chair, Early Childhood ConcentrationFaculty Director, Harvard Center on the Developing Child (HCDC)
Ph.D., Yale University, (2002)
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Stephanie Jones' research, anchored in prevention science, focuses on the effects of poverty and exposure to violence on children and youth's social, emotional, and behavioral development. Over the last ten years her work has focused on both evaluation research addressing the impact of preschool and elementary focused social-emotional learning interventions on behavioral and academic outcomes and classroom practices; as well as new curriculum development, implementation, and testing. Jones is a recipient of the Grawemeyer Award in Education for her work with Zigler and Walter Gilliam on A Vision for Universal Preschool Education (Cambridge University Press, 2006) and a recipient of the Joseph E. Zins Early-Career Distinguished Contribution Award for Action Research in Social and Emotional Learning. Jones' research portfolio emphasizes the importance of conducting rigorous scientific research, including program evaluation, that also results in accessible content for early and middle childhood practitioners and policymakers. Her developmental and experimental research investigates the causes and consequences of social-emotional problems and competencies; strategies for altering the pathways that shape children's social-emotional development; and programs, interventions, and pedagogy that foster social-emotional competencies among children, adults, and environments. Her policy-driven research with colleague Nonie Lesaux focuses on the challenge of simultaneously expanding and improving the quality of early childhood education, at scale (The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education, Harvard Education Press, 2016). Jones serves on numerous national advisory boards and expert consultant groups related to social-emotional development and child and family anti-poverty policies, including the National Boards of Parents as Teachers and Engaging Schools. She consults to program developers, including Sesame Street, and has conducted numerous evaluations of programs and early education efforts, including Reading, Writing, Respect and Resolution, Resolving Conflict Creatively, SECURe, and the Head Start CARES initiative. Across projects and initiatives, Jones maintains a commitment to supporting the alignment of preK-3 curricula and instructional practices.
We propose a three-year project to adapt and integrate play-based social emotional learning (SEL) Kernels into classrooms across Ukraine. We will collaborate with the LEGO Foundation Master Trainers and Ukraine Staff to train In-Service Teacher Trainers and Pre-Service Teacher Educators at institutions across Ukraine in order to provide SEL Kernels training and support to teachers of preschool, primary, and lower middle school students. The main components of our project include: (a) SEL concepts localization, (b) materials adaptation and provision, (c) training and support for National Rollout, and (d) research on the implementation and impacts of SEL Kernels in Ukraine. The goal of our project is to improve SEL teaching and learning across Ukraine, as a mechanism to improve teacher practice and wellbeing, and student outcomes including those in the social and emotional, wellbeing, and learning-related domains
Special Olympics Chair Tim Shriver and Professor Stephanie Jones discuss how to teach and create more welcoming environments