Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention (CECEI)

In an article in Edutopia, “Inspiring Curiosity and Critical Thinking in Pre-K,” Judi Anderson, Associate Director of Children Discovering Their World, and Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin, Executive Director of CECEI, discuss their experiences of project-based learning (PBL) in action with the Children Discovering Their World curricula series, as well as strategies to deepen student understanding, provide support, and challenge students while teaching within a PBL framework.

Executive Director of CECEI, Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin, was interviewed for a Baltimore Banner article about how to select a high quality pre-K program in Maryland.

Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin, Executive Director of the CECEI, co-authored Blueprint brief #4, Expanding Pre-K in public schools will require expanding the Pre-K teacher workforce. But how, and by how much?, with Drs. Kayla Bill and David Blazar, UMD.

CECEI has established The Maryland Early EdCorp Registered Apprentice Program, Maryland’s first registered apprenticeship program in the category of Early Childhood Educator, collaborating with the Council for Professional Recognition and Early Childhood Workforce Connector. Apprentices will receive hands-on training, as well as mentorship from experienced early childhood education professionals. They will be compensated for their participation and will receive the Child Development Associate certification upon program completion. 

CECEI, in partnership with Maryland Family Network, is conducting an implementation evaluation of the Maryland Family Network’s Strong Families program through a Research-Program Partnership. Maryland Family Network’s Strong Families Department focuses on community-based efforts to prevent child maltreatment and strengthen families.

CECEI is in the final stages of developing the Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy (TSP) Toolkit, while simultaneously planning for a broader rollout of the Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy curriculum. TSP is designed to help educators consider the complex nature of trauma and the myriad ways it manifests in children’s learning and development. Learn more about the TSP project.

Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin, Executive Director of the CECEI, spoke on a panel at a webinar, Learning in the Context of Adversity, hosted by The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect. Watch or listen to the recording.

CECEI, in partnership with the Council for Professional Recognition, is establishing the Maryland Early EdCorp Apprenticeship Program to address Maryland Rebuilds high leverage strategy 4: Growing a Highly Effective Workforce. The 15-month project provides a “doorway” for a diverse population, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups, to enter the early childhood, child care, and special education workforce pipeline to support the development and learning of children ages 3-5. Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin (HDQM) is Principal Investigator and Project Director, and Dr. Amanda Schwartz (HDQM) is Associate Project Director. Learn more in this College of Education News article.

Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin (PI, HDQM) and Dr. Brenda Jones Harden (Co-PI, HDQM) received $1,275,000 in funding from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for an Implementation and Impact Evaluation of Maryland's Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Support Services (IECMHSS) Program. The IECMHSS Program is intended to improve the ability of staff, programs, and families to prevent, identify, treat, and reduce the impact of social, emotional and other mental health problems among children birth through 5 years old. The evaluation will inform the public about the reach and effectiveness of the program in meeting the stated goal of creating fundamental shifts in early childhood professionals’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices to support more effective caregiving for all children, regardless of race, gender, class, or a myriad of other factors.

CECEI hosted a table at Maryland Day on Saturday, April 29, 2023, with glitter bottle and finger painting activities for children and families, with the help of six student volunteers.

The CECEI was honored to host our second Virtual Colloquium. Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, presented on the topic, “Ensuring Equitable Learning Opportunities: Ensuring Justice in Early Care and Education.” Learn more about the colloquium.

CECEI is currently hiring. See our Career Opportunities page for more information on available positions.