Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools We conduct grant-funded research, provide comprehensive research support, and share research findings across audiences and platforms.

The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools (CYFS) is an interdisciplinary research center in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools (CYFS) seeks to foster collaboration among the University of Nebraska's vibrant, interdisciplinary research community in th

e social, behavioral and educational sciences. Our mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives through social, behavioral and educational research. Research themes include:
• Academic Intervention and Learning
• Biological Bases of Behavior and Learning
• Early Childhood Education and Development
• Research, Measurement and Evaluation Methods
• Rural Schools and Communities
• Social, Emotional and Behavioral Well-being

Social Media Community Guidelines:

The University of Nebraska and its four campuses encourage interaction, discussion, comments, questions and criticism. We ask that you keep comments and posts relevant and respectful. We reserve the right to delete comments or posts that:

-Advocate illegal activity
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We also reserve the right to block individuals who do not follow these guidelines or are repeat offenders. Links to outside content or other websites by the University of Nebraska are not an endorsement of those organizations, or their views or content. Comments posted on this page do not represent the opinions of the University of Nebraska. University employees commenting on University channels should clearly show they are doing so in their personal capacities, and not as representatives of the University.

08/25/2026

High-quality child care is a key part of Nebraska's economic infrastructure, just like our schools, roads, hospitals and public safety systems. Child care is the foundation that helps children learn, parents work, businesses grow, providers thrive and communities succeed.

That's why CYFS and the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research are proud to support Child Care Can. ❤️

Learn more & find out how to get involved: https://www.childcarecan.org

🌏 From Tasmania to Nebraska!School principals Angela Gatti and Helen Peart visited CYFS this week to learn about family-...
08/22/2026

🌏 From Tasmania to Nebraska!

School principals Angela Gatti and Helen Peart visited CYFS this week to learn about family-school partnerships and complete TAPP - Teachers & Parents as Partners intervention training.

We’re honored to welcome educators from around the world to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to learn, connect and share ideas that strengthen partnerships between families and schools.

📸 From left: Angela Gatti, Amanda Witte and Helen Peart.

Save the Dates! 📅 Join us for a series of research presentations hosted by the Nebraska College of Education and Human S...
08/20/2026

Save the Dates! 📅 Join us for a series of research presentations hosted by the Nebraska College of Education and Human Sciences and CYFS. These presentations are free and open to the public.

• Sept. 9 — Alex Mason, CYFS and Child, Youth and Family Studies, UNL
• Sept. 22 — Lisa Knoche, CYFS and Nebraska Academy of Early Childhood Research, UNL
• Oct. 1 — Andy Garbacz, Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Learn more ›› https://go.unl.edu/cyfs-series

08/18/2026

Fifteen Nebraska faculty members have been selected to participate in the next cohort of the Office of Research and Innovation's Research Leaders Program, aimed at identifying and developing Nebraska's next generation of research leaders.

Some of life's most important lessons begin in preschool! 👩‍🎓❤️"Give it your very best. When you put your doubts behind ...
08/18/2026

Some of life's most important lessons begin in preschool! 👩‍🎓❤️

"Give it your very best. When you put your doubts behind and your will forward, you will land strong. You will learn how to succeed, and how to accept failure, with dignity. You did not create your masterpieces in preschool by being afraid to put your hands in the Play-Doh or your fingers in the finger paint. You went for it. Approach life with the same belief, the same dedication, the same self-respect.” —Dr. Susan Sheridan

The university conferred 604 degrees during the summer commencement ceremony Aug. 15 at Pinnacle Bank Arena and awarded an honorary doctorate to a university icon and trailblazer.

08/11/2026

Short on time but curious about the life-changing research happening at the University of Nebraska?

▶️ In under two minutes, CYFS research affiliate Jing Wang, Nebraska Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, shares how her work is improving K–12 math instruction and student learning outcomes.

👉 Learn more in the CYFS newsletter ›› https://conta.cc/4vscnGY

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Exciting news for education researchers! 🙌 The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has ...
08/07/2026

Exciting news for education researchers! 🙌 The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has announced its planned Fiscal Year 2027 research grant competitions.

Competitions are expected to roll out in phases:
📥 Tranche 1: Released Aug. 6; Applications due Oct. 1.
📥 Tranche 2: TBA; Details in late September/early October.
📥 Tranche 3: TBA; Details in December.

Find more information, visit: https://ies.ed.gov/learn/blog/announcing-iess-planned-fy27-grantmaking 🔗

As always, the CYFS team is here to help by providing comprehensive research support services! If you're interested in submitting a proposal, please reach out ASAP to Kristin Moilanen, proposal development coordinator. We're eager to see where these new opportunities lead and look forward to supporting your work along the way.

In this blog, IES announces its plans for Fiscal Year 2027 research grantmaking.

Nebraska researcher Ciara Ousley, Nebraska Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, recently evaluat...
08/05/2026

Nebraska researcher Ciara Ousley, Nebraska Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, recently evaluated how using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools during reading and playtime can support young children with autism.

Visit our blog to find out what the Nebraska SCADD Lab is learning!

Project identifies, enhances alternative communication opportunities for children with autism Ciara Ousley, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders, recently evaluated the effects of embedding AAC within storybook reading and play time with young children with autism who...

CYFS' Amanda Witte has been selected to participate in the UNL Office of Research and Innovation 2026–27 Research Leader...
08/04/2026

CYFS' Amanda Witte has been selected to participate in the UNL Office of Research and Innovation 2026–27 Research Leaders Program. 👏 👏 Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition and exciting opportunity!

The goal of the Research Leaders Program is to propel emerging research leaders to take their research programs to a higher and more collaborative level. The program provides research-active faculty with the information, skills and connections they need to assemble and lead large-scale teams in the pursuit of major extramural funding.

Learn more: https://research.unl.edu/blog/15-faculty-members-selected-for-research-leaders-program/.

Nebraska researcher Michaela Schenkelberg, UNO School of Health and Kinesiology, is collaborating with MAP Academy perso...
08/03/2026

Nebraska researcher Michaela Schenkelberg, UNO School of Health and Kinesiology, is collaborating with MAP Academy personnel to make it easier to evaluate young children’s gross motor skills — the basic, whole-body movements that lay the foundation for lifelong physical activity.

This work is supported by the MAP Academy's Applied Analytics and Data Infrastructure (AADI) Catalyst Program with funding from the Nebraska Research Initiative.

Read the full story on our blog!

Research collaboration aims to streamline children’s motor skills evaluation Michaela Schenkelberg, associate professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is working with MAP Academy personnel to develop a streamlined assessment used to measure fundamental movement s...

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