Erikson Institute

ERIKSON INSTITUTE IS THE PREMIER INDEPENDENT INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.

ACADEMICS: THROUGH CONTEMPORARY MASTER'S DEGREE, DOCTORAL DEGREE, AND GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, ERIKSON INSTITUTE PREPARES LEADERS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL WORK, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. WE OFFER THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH CLASSES ON CAMPUS AND ONLINE. IN 2022, ERIKSON CONFERRED 146 GRADUATE DEGREES AND WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE 92% OF STUDENTS WITH SOME KIND OF SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. FURTHER, ERIKSON LAUNCHED A REIMAGINED TEACHER LICENSURE PROGRAM TO NOW INCLUDE A TRIPLE ENDORSEMENT. THE UPDATED MASTER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DEGREE NOW EMBEDS CURRICULUM AND CLINICAL HOURS THAT POSITION GRADUATES TO EARN ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENTS FROM THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THESE ENDORSEMENTS INCLUDE: EARLY CHILDHOOD BIRTH-2ND GRADE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND BILINGUAL/ESL. THIS PROGRAM IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ELIMINATING THE COSTLY AND TIME-CONSUMING PRACTICE OF "STACKING" ENDORSEMENTS WHICH DOES OFFER THE HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS. FURTHER, ERIKSON SECURED PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING TO OFFER THE EDUCATOR IMPACT GRANT, COVERING ALL TUITION AND FEES, TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WHO AGREE TO TEACH IN DIVESTED COMMUNITIES POST-GRADUATION.

DIRECT SERVICES: ERIKSON STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF DIRECT SERVICES DIRECTLY TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS CONSULTING AND TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE THEM. MORE THAN 7,000 FAMILIES HAVE BEEN SERVED BY OUR FUSSY BABY NETWORK, CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF), AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROJECT, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. EACH YEAR, OUR STUDENTS PUT IN MORE THAN 49,000 HOURS OF FIELD SERVICE AT 68 AGENCIES SERVING CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. ERIKSON'S CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES' TEAM OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICIANS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS, AND OTHER LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AGES 0-8, AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES AND IMPORTANT CAREGIVERS. ERIKSON'S CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES' (CCF) HAS REMAINED A CONSTANT SOURCE OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT CHICAGO DURING THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC. TO PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC, CCF ADOPTED A HIPAA COMPLIANT VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM. FROM JULY 2020 TO JUNE 2021, A TOTAL OF 319 FAMILIES WERE SUPPORTED BY THE EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH AND DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES PROVIDED BY CCF. IN 2022, IN-PERSON THERAPY AND CLINICAL SERVICES WERE ABLE TO RESUME ALONG WITH PROACTIVE OUTREACH TO HELP SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN THE WAKE OF ONGOING GUN VIOLENCE. WE ALSO OFFER PROGRAMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HONE THEIR SKILLS, LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES, AND EARN CREDITS TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LICENSES.

RESEARCH, POLICY & LEADERSHIP: ERIKSON'S CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THEM BY FOCUSING ON WHAT WORKS AND HOW, AND ON MODELS THAT CAN BE REPLICATED. OUR GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH INCLUDES SEVERAL STUDIES THAT ARE THE FIRST OF THEIR KIND IN THE FIELD ON TOPICS INCLUDING HOME VISITING, MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND HOME-BASED CHILDCARE. ERIKSON'S POLICY AND LEADERSHIP DEPARTMENT RELEASED THE SECOND EDITION OF THE RISK AND REACH REPORT IN JULY 2021, WHICH FEATURES DATA THAT PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE, COUNTY-BY-COUNTY ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS THAT UNDERMINE OPTIMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 916,880 CHILDREN AGED 5 AND UNDER IN ILLINOIS (7.32% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION) AND COMPARES THEM TO THE REACH OF PUBLICLY FUNDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOOD WELL-BEING. IN 2022, THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (ECLA) ENROLLED A NEW COHORT OF EXECUTIVE FELLOWS AND ENGAGED MORE THAN HALF OF ECLA ALUMNI IN ADVANCING POLICY PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE ACROSS ILLINOIS. ERIKSON ALSO LAUNCHED THE DECOLONIZING LANGUAGE AND DATA TRAINING TO WIDELY SHARE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT WORDS AND DATA HAVE ON THE PEOPLE THEY ARE DESCRIBING.