Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy

The Center for Children and Childhood Studies has been fortunate enough to recruit a large number of volunteers for the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy's "Prescription to Read Initiative." To date, 25 students have volunteered to read at Cooper Hospital and the Osborn Clinic at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. The Center also has three work study students assisting with book distribution and inventory in the Pediatric Department of Cooper Hospital. The Camden chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for psychology majors, has decided to adopt the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy as one of their projects and will soon be enrolling student volunteers. Needless to say, we are very excited about the level of student involvement and look forward to expanding their participation within the campaign and throughout the city of Camden.

CCCS Research Support Program Awards

With funds from the Rutgers University SROA Program the Center has awarded 9 small grants to assist center associates in the development of research projects. Two Associates have made presentations on their projects:

Children of Female Prisoners and Probationers: Longitudinal Study
Jane Siegel, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

In her research project Dr. Siegel examines the life adjustments of children of female prisoners and probationers. The study includes participant observation of the children at home, school, play and in the community. The study will contribute to enrich our understanding of the impact of their parent's absence on children's daily lives, and better inform the second phase of the research.

Dr. Siegel joined our faculty in the fall 2000 and teaches a range of courses in criminal justice, including corrections, white collar crime, and juvenile delinquency. She has published a number of articles on the long-term consequences of sexual abuse and sexual victimization. She also has administered a criminal justice exchange program with the University of Tuebingen, Germany.

Drug Court: Pilot Study
Drew Humphries, Professor of Sociology

After introducing the audience to issues surrounding the drug court, Dr. Humphries argued that it is important to look at the impact of these courts on family life. In her proposed evaluation study, Dr. Humphries will examine the life adjustments of drug court clients, with special attention to parents' relationships with their children.

Drew Humphries is the author of Crack Mothers: Drugs, Pregnancy and the Media (Ohio State University Press, 1999) and co-editor with Susan Carengella-MacDonald of a special issue of Violence against Women.

Mark your calendars for our next
Center Associates' Seminar
Janet Golden: "A Cultural History of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome"
Thursday November 16th from 12:20 - 1:20
Large Conference Room - Dean's Office, Armitage Hall

Funding News

In conjunction with the Center for Children and Childhood Studies, Drew Humphries has received a $6,000 grant from the Addiction Technology Transfer Centers and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for her project, "Caregiver Addiction and its Effects on Children: Curriculum Development for Elementary School Teachers." As a result of this project, a course will be offered as a part of the Summer Institute for Teachers. The course, Caregiver Addiction, Children and Elementary Education, will be offered July 9-13 from 6-8pm on the Rutgers Camden Campus. For further information contact Tom Venables at the Summer Sessions office at (856) 225-6098.

New Service Learning Course for Undergraduates

The Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice and the Department of Psychology have received one of five college-wide grants to develop a spring Service Learning course. The course will involve a weekly seminar on Camden's history, the particular problems faced by its schools, and the importance of technological skills for learning and for job-preparation. Students will also engage in service work at community centers and schools in the city, with a focus on "Bridging the Digital Divide in Camden." They will be building on the good work, in both the spring and fall 2000 semesters, of sociology student volunteers at the Martin Luther King Community Center's computer lab. If interested, please contact Bill Whitlow, Professor of Psychology, Associate Director of Center for Children and Childhood Studies at (856) 225-6741.

Upcoming Events.

Watch for future notices about these upcoming events:

November 28th - Center Associate Business Meeting 12:20 - 1:20, Dean's Office, Large Conference Room

January 26, 2001 - Guided Tour of "Kids! 200 Years of Childhood" Exhibit at Winterthur Museum