Summer Institutes 2009

The Center on Race and Social Problems will again host four one-day institutes in the summer of 2009. Each institute will examine the nature, extent, and patterns of racial and ethnic disparities in a particular major social problem area. The institutes will examine explanations, consequences, model programs, and new policy and program options.

They will feature presentations, Q&A, break-out groups, and panel discussions with national and local experts. They are intended for researchers, educators, administrators, community leaders, policy makers, and practitioners.

All institutes will take place from 8.30 am to 4.00 pm in the School of Social Work's Conference Center on the 20th floor of the Cathedral of Learning. Breakfast and lunch will be served and each day will end with a reception. All qualify for six (6.0) hours of CEUs: LSW, LCSW, LPC, LMFT, NBCC, and Psychology. (Primary and secondary school personnel should contact their district or intermediate unit regarding eligibility for Act 48 credit.)

These institutes are free to attend (including Continuing Education Units), but seating is limited and registration is required. Registration is via this website only--click here to register.

Maps, directions, and other travel information to the University of Pittsburgh campus can be found here. Two hotels are located near the Cathedral of Learning: the Holiday Inn Select University Center (one block) and the Wyndham Hotel Pittsburgh-University Place (six blocks.)

We thank The Pittsburgh Foundation for their generous support of the Center's summer institutes again this year.

The dates and topics of this year's institutes are:

May 21: African American Parental Involvement in Public Education

Public School Strategies to Improve African American Parental Involvement
M. Ann Levett, Executive Director, School Development Program, Yale University Comer School Development Program

Interventions to Enhance Parental Involvement in Literacy
Patricia Edwards, Professor of Teacher Education, Michigan State University College of Education

Community Support for African American Parental Involvement in Education
Mavis Sanders, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Education

July 10: Aging Out of the Child Welfare System: Experiences, Outcomes,and Interventions for Youth of Color

System Change that Works for Children of All Races
David Sanders, Executive Vice President of Systems Improvement, Casey Family Programs

Disproportionality in Education and Employment Outcomes of Adult Foster Care Alumni
Marian Harris, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Washington at Tacoma

Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: Developmental Outcomes and Intervention Approaches
Paul Toro, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Wayne State University

Aging Out of the Child Welfare System in Allegheny County: Race, Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol, and Justice System Involvement
Sara Goodkind, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, and Jeffrey Shook, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

July 21: Race, Hunger, and Food Insecurity

A Blueprint to End Hunger in America
George Braley, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy, Feeding America

Hunger, Food Insecurity, and Race in Pennsylvania
Joyce Rothermel, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Hunger in the Pittsburgh Region and a Prescription for Change
Cynthia Moore, Community Outreach Director, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

August 5: Racial Diversity Management in Corporate America

Effectiveness of Corporate Diversity Programs
Frank Dobbin, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Harvard University Department of Sociology

Responses to Diversity Performance Evaluations and Policies
Emilio Castilla, Assistant Professor of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management

Unfinished Business: The Impact of Race on Mentoring Relationships in Corporate America
Audrey J. Murrell, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Psychology, Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business

For information on our previous institutes, click here.