Parents And Children Together (PACT) is a Penn State University Park research initiative. The PACT Initiative works to promote the health and well-being of children, youth, and families from diverse backgrounds through culturally-sensitive and community-engaged research projects implemented by Penn State researchers. PACT is funded through contributions from Penn State's Psychology Department, Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), Child Study Center (CSC), College of Health and Human Development, Human Development and Family Studies, and participating research projects.
What We Do
Through PACT, Penn State researchers increase the cultural sensitivity and impact of their research while improving lives in Harrisburg.
How We Helped
PACT reaches out to the community through free family workshops and trainings for childcare employees, and in other ways as needed.
What We've Learned
PACT brings what we’ve learned through research in Harrisburg back to community members, local organizations and our Community Advisory Board.
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Community Spotlight: Turning a Negative into a Positive: Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes Academy
The curriculum at Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes Academy is age-appropriate and exceeds Pennsylvania's state-wide standard for early learning.
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PACT CAB member Gloria Vazquez Merrick interviewed by ABC channel 27 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
ABC27 recognizes Hispanic and Latino Americans’ contributions by highlighting people’s stories during Hispanic Heritage Month.
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New research from Dr. Dawn Witherspoon, including former grad student Dr. Wei Wei: "Neighborhood-level predictors of African American and Latinx parents' ethnic-racial socialization"
Few studies examine how neighborhood structural factors (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES] and diversity) and perceived disorder may influence the messages parents communicate to their youth about race/ethnicity.
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Community Spotlight: Grandparents Involved From The Start (GIFTS)
Grandparents Involved From the Start, Inc. (GIFTS) is a non-profit organization that provides resources and support to grandparents who are raising school-aged grandchildren between the ages of 5 to 18 years old.
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Congratulations to Dr. Sunhye Bai for receiving a 2021 SRCD Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars
The Small Grants Program celebrates its fourth year by awarding up to $7,500 USD to each of the thirteen selected projects, directly supporting a diverse group of early career researchers from institutions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Singapore.