SIUE Graduate Program Honored during School Psychology Awareness Week
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Clinical Child and School Psychology program has earned the School Psychology Awareness Week (SPAW) award for its University and community-wide efforts to raise awareness about its work.
The award was presented at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) 2017 annual convention held Feb. 14-21 in San Antonio.
Two student leaders within SIUE’s program helped found the Graduate Organization for Child and Adolescent Child Psychology Students (GO CAPS), and led the organization’s efforts in outreach activities. Carissa Ball, of Kewanee, and Haley Pemberton, of Springfield, are have received their master’s in clinical child and school psychology, and will complete their education specialist degree through the program in 2018.
“We were honored to have our students’ effort and hard work recognized,” said Elizabeth McKenney, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and faculty advisor of GO CAPS. “Although we’ve had student leaders for some time, 2016-17 is the first year we’ve had a student organization for all program students to participate in service and outreach activities.”
The activities included organizing a Thanksgiving food drive and a toy drive for local students and their families, and advocating SIUE’s program to prospective students through Q&A panels and presentations.
“We focused on advocacy and community outreach while keeping in mind this year’s NASP mantra ‘small steps change lives,’” said Ball. “We offered a presentation to 10 undergraduate classes that depicted the roles school psychologists fulfill every day in an effort to better the lives of students academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally.”
“We were surprised and excited to receive this award from the NASP and have our program recognized on a national level,” added Pemberton. “We are grateful to be in a career where we have the opportunity every day to positively impact the lives of students, and this award enhances our motivation to continuously improve our organization’s activities.”
For more information on SIUE’s Clinical Child and School Psychology graduate program, visit siue.edu/clinicalchild.
Photo: (L-R) Dr. Elizabeth McKenney, Haley Pemberton, NASP President Melissa Reeves, and Carissa Ball.
