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The
School of the 21st Century is located in the Edward Zigler Center
in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University.
In addition to Yale faculty,
there are a number of staff members,
senior associates and affiliates, and current research assistants working with 21C.
Faculty
Edward
F. Zigler, Ph.D.
Sterling
Professor of Psychology at Yale, Emeritus
email:edward.zigler@yale.edu
Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of
Psychology Emeritus at Yale University, is the former
Head of the Psychology Section of the Child Study Center
at Yale’s School of Medicine and founder of the
Center in Child Development and Social Policy. The
Center has been renamed in his honor and is now known
as The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and
Social Policy. He is the founder of the School of the
21st Century, which has been adopted by more than 1,300
schools nationwide.
Dr. Zigler regularly testifies as an
expert witness before congressional committees and has
served as a consultant to a number of cabinet-rank officers.
He was one of the planners of Project Head Start and
President Carter later named him chair of the 15th anniversary
analysis committee.
From 1970 to 1972, Dr. Zigler was the
first director of the U. S. Office of Child Development
(now the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families)
and chief of the U. S. Children’s Bureau. He was
also a member of the Advisory Committee on Head Start
Quality and Expansion and of the planning committee
for the Early Head Start program for families and children
ages zero to three.
He continues to work full-time on his
scholarly efforts and is currently conceptualizing a
new role for Head Start where universal public preschool
becomes a reality.
Dr. Zigler’s many honors include
awards from the American Psychological Association,
the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for
Research in Child Development, the American Academy
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy
on Mental Retardation, the American Orthopsychiatric
Association, the National Head Start Association, the
Heinz Foundation, and Teachers College, Columbia University.
Among his many honorary degrees are ones from Boston
College and McGill University in Canada.
Matia
Finn-Stevenson, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Edward Zigler Center in Child Development
and Social Policy
email:
matia.finn-stevenson@yale.edu
Matia Finn-Stevenson is a research
scientist at Yale University, Child Study Center where
she is also associate director of The Edward Zigler
Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the
director of the School of the 21st Century.
She has done extensive research in child
development and work-family life issues. In her current
research, she examines the impact of demographics and
other changes on schools and the involvement of schools
in childcare and family support programs. She is the
author and co-author of many scholarly publications,
the most recent of which are related to school reform,
evaluations of school-based support services, and child
development. Among her publications are books entitled
Children in the Changing World; The School of the
21st Century: Linking Child Care and Education; Child
Development and Social Policy; and The First
Three Years and Beyond: Brain Development and Social
Policy.
Dr. Finn-Stevenson has been an advisor on domestic
policy issues to the staff of the White House Office
of Policy Development and a consultant to the Connecticut
legislature's Committee on Work and Family, the Committee
on Education and Labor, the U. S. House of Representatives,
and the U. S. Senate Subcommittee on Children, Youth,
Families, Alcohol, and Drug Abuse. She regularly advises
school districts and state departments of education
on programs and services for children and serves as
a consultant to state and federal policymakers and foundations.
She earned her doctorate from Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio.
Staff
Beth
Lapin, MA, MSW
Senior
Associate / 21C Direct Services
e-mail: beth.lapin@yale.edu
Beth
Lapin joined the staff of the Yale Bush Center as Senior
Associate in the summer of 2002. She heads technical
assistance, training, and program development operations
for the Schools of the 21st Century initiative.
In
her position with Schools of the 21st Century, Beth
is focusing on the development and implementation of
21C in Arkansas, a major initiative funded through a
grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. There
are seventeen schools implementing 21C in Arkansas and
several more AR schools will join the initiative in
the next several years.
Beth
comes to the Bush Center with hands-on experience in
all aspects of the 21C components and was a Family Resource
Center director in Connecticut. She also led statewide
community planning efforts related to public health
issues and managed a national grassroots campaign. She
has published in a wide array of journals and newsletters
on a variety of topics. Beth has conducted orientation
and training meetings for people of all ages and backgrounds
and administered a range of volunteer and grants programs.
Beth
has a BS in Biology with a minor in Education, an MA
in Biological Sciences and an MSW with a major in community
organizing and a focus on children and family issues.
Otherine Johnson Neisler , Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
e-mail: ojn2@yale.edu
Dr. Neisler received her B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University, M.A. in Special Education from Fairfield University and Ph.D. in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation from Syracuse University.
Her research interests include faculty diversity and development, social studies education, qualitative research methodologies, and education for social justice.
Dr. Neisler has taught at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels including positions in Newton and Boston, Massachusetts, Boston College Lynch School of Education, Yale University and Saint Joseph College. Her college courses include curriculum theory and practice, teacher as researcher, American education and social studies methods and curriculum. She has worked as a whole school change coach for both elementary and high schools. Dr. Neisler merges computer expertise garnered from her 12-year career with the IBM Corporation into her teaching and research. She has just retired from leading the Saint Joseph College faculty of 25 in the exploration of teaching and research requirements for maximizing the academic achievement of all urban children. Dr. Neisler has joined the Schools for the 21st Century Program as a senior research analyst.
Alina
Yekelchik , BA
Research
Coordinator
e-mail: alina.yekelchik@yale.edu
Alina joined the staff of the School of the 21st Century in
August of 2004 as a Research Coordinator.
She
is currently working on several program evaluations. Alina
comes from an extensive background, working as
a paralegal in a NYC law firm as well as experience
in the field of education.
Alina
has a B.A. in political science and secondary social
studies from SUNY College at Cortland and is currently pursuing
a master’s degree in sociology.
Valerie Vergato Zielinski
Senior Administrative Assistant
e-mail: valerie.zielinski@yale.edu
In addition to providing administrative and financial support for 21C, Valerie is the 21C Conference Coordinator.
Valerie has been employed at Yale for more 20 years; prior to working with 21C, she worked for the Provost of Yale reconciling grant accounts and preparing foundation budgets. She is a graduate of Branford Hall School of Business.
Senior
Associates / Affiliates
Christopher
Cerf is an author, record and television producer,
composer-lyricist, editor, humorist, and co-founder
and president of the educational television production
company, Sirius Thinking, Ltd. Cerf played a pivotal
role in the ongoing funding of the Sesame Street television
show, through the creation, licensing and production
of educational records, toys and books.
For
over 30 years, he has also been a regular contributor
of music and lyrics to Sesame Workshop productions,
winning, in the process, two Grammy Awards and two
Emmy Awards for songwriting and music production.
Before
joining Sesame Street, Cerf spent eight years as a
senior editor at Random House, where he worked with
such diverse authors as George Plimpton, Andy Warhol,
and Ray Bradbury, and helped to create an in-school
reading program based on the famous Beginner Book
series, edited by Dr. Seuss. In 1993, Cerf renewed
his ties to Random House when he assumed the role
of Chairman of the Modern Library.
One
of Christopher Cerf's most acclaimed projects was
the editing and production of Marlo Thomas and Friends'
Free To Be...A Family book, album and TV special.
The book reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller
list within a week of publication, and the show received
a prime-time Emmy as the year's outstanding children's
special. Currently, Cerf serves as Creative Producer
of Between the Lions, the multiple-award-winning children's
literacy series his company, Sirius Thinking, created
for PBS.
Christopher's
father, the late Bennett Cerf, was co-founder and
president of Random House, and nationally known as
an editor, television personality, writer and humorist.
Dr. Henrich's interests focus on the social and motivational development of children and adolescents. Specifically, he is interested in school adjustment over key educational transitions (e.g., from elementary school to middle school) and what parents can do to promote their children's school success. Dr. Henrich is also interested in the effects of other contextual factors, such as peer groups and violence exposure, on school adjustment.
Dr. Henrich has been involved in the evaluation of several educational interventions to promote school adjustment and achievement. Most recently he has been working with researchers at the National Center for Children in Poverty on the evaluation of a school-based violence prevention program, and he also collaborates with colleagues at the Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy on a national evaluation of the Schools of the 21st Century.
Other of Chris' interests include the motivation of children with mental retardation and the policy implications/applications of developmental research.
 Michael Levine
Senior Associate
email:michael.levine@sesameworkshop.org
Michael Levine is founding executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and senior associate at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is a newly established educational media, research, and public dissemination organization housed within the offices of Sesame Workshop. The center will undertake and fund original research, forge partnerships with communications industry leaders to accelerate innovation in children's media, and conduct symposia and an information dissemination program for policymakers and the public. Until recently, Levine was at The Asia Society, where he oversaw interactive media and educational initiatives to promote global knowledge and understanding. He coordinated development of the first national network of international studies schools for low income and minority secondary students and leads a multi-state network to promote international education in US schools. Previously, Levine oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York's work in early childhood development and primary grades reforms, where he won national recognition. Before joining Carnegie, Levine was in charge of dropout prevention programs for the New York City Board of Education and helped create a model interagency preschool program for at-risk children for Mayor Edward Koch. Levine received his BS from Cornell University and his PhD from The Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis University. He serves as a frequent adviser to many nationally prominent companies.
Norma
Meek, Senior Associate, at the Zigler Center provides training and technical assistance to schools implementing 21C. She is also Director of Student Services and
Parent Involvement for the Boyd County (KY) School
System and Director of the summer
Math/Reading program. Serving as Area Education
Projects Coordinator through the Tri-State Foundation,
she distributes grants to classroom teachers for
innovative programs.
She
served for eight years as co-chair for a Leadership
Forum for Directors of Child Care programs throughout
the state at Asbury College each summer. Norma is
a past president of the Kentucky Coalition for Family
Resource Youth Services Centers and a past president
of the Kentucky School-Age Care Coalition. She has
also served on the Kentucky Prevention Child Abuse
Board and has been a member of the Governor's Child
Care Advisory Council.
Norma
chaired a Kentucky Child 2000 Initiative and also
chaired a Kentucky Work Group on the Governor's
Early Childhood Initiative. In 1995, Norma's Family
Resource Center received the first Harry J. Cowherd
Award for Excellence and in 1997 received the Kentucky
Coalition's Ruth Lerman Fitzpatrick Award. In 2001,
she received the YWCA Twin Award for Education.
Throughout her career she was named Teacher of the
Year twice.
Currently Norma is active in her community serving
as a Director of United Way, Past President of Pathways
Mental Health Board for ten counties, and Paramount
Arts Center Board of Directors. Appointed by the
mayor she is a Central Park Board Commissioner and
a member of CASA(Court Appointed Student Advocate.)
She still finds time to serve on her local YMCA
Board. She recently became a member of the National
Early Literacy Advisory Council. Serving on the
Governor's Extended Learning Opportunities Council
keeps her active in after-school programming. She
has made numerous national presentations on behalf
of children and families. Norma is a Senior Associate
at the Yale Bush Center.
 Patty
Schumacher
Senior
Associate, Coordinator of 21C Leadership Development
e-mail: patricia.schumacher@yale.edu
Dr. Patricia Schumacher joined
the staff of the Yale Zigler Center in the summer
of 2005 serving as senior associate and coordinator of leadership development. She has 32 years of public school experience
ranging from classroom instructor, counselor,
elementary principal, director of elementary education,
to associate superintendent.
As principal, she successfully
implemented a School of the 21 st Century program
at William Southern Elementary in Independence
School District in 1988. In 1993, William Southern
was named a National Blue Ribbon School and Patty
was recognized as the Principal of the Year. As
an Associate Superintendent in Independence, MO
Patty was responsible for the expansion and quality
of the School of the 21C Programs in all 14 elementary
schools and at the district’s Head Start
Center serving over 1500 children a year. The
Independence School District was recognized by
Working Mother magazine and NBC’s Tom Brokaw
for its outstanding role in meeting the needs
of children and families in the community.
Patty has been the
recipient of several awards, most recently: Yale
University Outstanding Public Service to Children
and Families, University of Missouri College of
Education Recognition for commitment to all children’s
learning, National PTA Honorary Life Member, and
Who’s Who among Outstanding Americans.
She currently serves
on the board for the Independence Chamber of Commerce,
Child Abuse and Prevention Association, University
of Missouri Joanne H. Hook Center in Educational
Renewal, Missouri Partnership for Educational Renewal,
University of Missouri College of Education Alumni
Board, and YouthFriends. Patty has served on numerous
national boards and committees.
Research Assistants
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