Nneka Ibekwe-Okafor, a postdoctoral research associate at the Center on the Ecology of Early Development (CEED), has been awarded a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to promote racial empathy and antiracist practices in early care and education.

Ibekwe-Okafor will be the co-principal investigator of the project, which will work with childcare centers and homes across multiple states to measure and address sociocultural classroom interactions. It will also work with state policymakers to explore ways to embed equity measures across various early care and education systems. And it will also develop a 3D virtual environment to be used in early childhood education settings to help foster racial empathy and prosocial behaviors among young children.

“This grant will address the need to assess and implement racial equity measures across various settings in effort to better serve and protect the development of children of color,” says Ibekwe-Okafor. “Our study will help set the conditions needed to foster antiracist practices in schools.”

The new project adds to CEED’s work to provide research that empowers families and community members caring for Black children to successfully advocate for those children’s rights. CEED does this by using a strength-based equity impact framework, providing training, coaching, and systemic professional development, and disseminating applied research.

“Nneka is a phenomenal junior scholar who is forging a strong path ahead,” says Stephanie Curenton, co-PI and director of CEED. “I am pleased and honored to be able to continue to mentor her as she moves to her tenure track assistant professor position.”