The Early Childhood Research Center
The ECRC is a community of practitioners and scholars dedicated to the study of contemporary issues that relate to young children, their families, their communities and their education.
Practitioners and researchers who work together through the ECRC embrace a range of innovative evidence based practice and research methods to increase understanding about children's development and learning within diverse sociocultural contexts.
Spotlight
The University of Louisville has received a $190,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to help bolster the region’s early childhood education sector through an innovative workforce development program. The grant will enable UofL’s Early Childhood Research Center (ECRC) to implement a Child Development Associate (CDA) and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential program curriculum.
Child Development Associate [PDF]
Michele Hemenway Pullen, Project Specialist with the Early Childhood Research Center, will provide two 2-hour sessions at the JCPS Professional Development and Learning Academy this Friday June 6th. The sessions are designed for Instructional Classified staff and center on learning about the Child Development Associates credential. the presentations are part of the University of Louisville Early Childhood Research Center Workshop Series
"Child Development Associate: A Crash Course in Child Development." A University of Louisville Early Childhood Research Center Workshop
Imagination Library
The Imagination Library of Louisville (ILL) mails a free, high-quality, age-appropriate, monthly book to children from birth to age five in Louisville to help them develop a love of reading and get ready for kindergarten. ILL is the local program partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The ECRC is collaborating with the ILL to initiate our second annual parent survey to measure the impact we were having. For the families who participated in the 2024 survey, the ILL program has positively impacted reading behaviors in the home, enhanced the home literacy environment and provided books that are enjoyed. The 2025 parent survey will be released this summer – watch for more information soon!