WE CARE Projects Furthering Wellness and Education in Arkansas

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The College of Education and Health Professions' WE CARE initiative has funded 43 projects, ranging from interdisciplinary Team Up for Education and Health research projects to an academic coaching program for students struggling in the "murky middle."

The college's dean, Kate Mamiseishvili, created the initiative with her leadership team in mid-2022. WE CARE stands for Wellness and Education Commitment to Arkansas Excellence.

The WE CARE-funded projects focus on one of three priorities:

• Encouraging collaboration to address complex challenges in education and health.
• Advancing the university's land-grant mission by caring for Arkansas and Arkansans.
• Embracing an organizational culture that's agile, adaptable, responsive and caring.

Faculty and staff continue to develop proposals and apply for funding to implement projects that include innovative research, programming and outreach efforts.

Team Up for Education and Health

Among projects funded in the Team Up for Education and Health category is the Re-PLAY (Recess for Physical activity and socioemotional Learning in Arkansas Youth) Study. The Re-PLAY Study is an interdisciplinary project that will evaluate the physical, emotional and academic benefits of the Playworks Program implemented with second- and third-grade students in Arkansas. This study will offer insight into the emotional and physical health, as well as academic achievement, of this age group in participating schools. Faculty members in counseling and exercise science programs Kristi Perryman and Erin Howie Hickey propose to offer Playworks resources to four schools in Arkansas.

Another project funded in this category will provide Arkansas educators with an interdisciplinary four-part professional development series and resources. The Teaming Up for Supports for Kids project will support educators through targeted instruction on evidence-based practices to improve their readiness to support children and youth with significant behavior support needs. Led by Renee Speight, Rachel Glade and Suzanne Kucharczyk, faculty in special education and communication sciences and disorders, the project aims to address social, emotional and behavioral health disparities in Arkansas school contexts.

Field Advancement

One of the projects under the Field Advancement category is the Human Resource Development Summit: Reach and Renew event, to be held on March 11. The summit is led and organized by students in the online Human Resource and Workforce Development program with guidance from faculty members Jim Maddox and Aynur Charkasova. It will provide instructional learning for students and program alumni, and will be an opportunity to network and connect with national and international experts in the field, as well as recruiters and area HRD professionals from local organizations. This event will be held both in person and virtually and offer multiple world-renowned keynote speakers, panel discussions on timely HRD issues and doctoral student poster sessions.

We Care Together Programming

These proposals focus on events within the college that foster a sense of belonging and support faculty and staff across career stages. On Feb. 10, the initiative sponsored a "Lunch and Learn" with Arkansas healthcare leader Ray Hanley, former president of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and former director of Arkansas Medicaid. Hanley, who created the nationally recognized ARKids First health insurance program, discussed the evolution and challenges of Medicaid and related social programs in Arkansas.

Later this month, Eleanor Mann School of Nursing students will travel to the Arkansas State Capitol to participate in Arkansas Nurses Association Nurses Day. They will have the opportunity to learn from policy experts about current issues impacting the state's healthcare workforce and network with nurse leaders throughout the state.

We Support You and Your Priorities

One of the projects funded in this category revolves around first-year students at risk of dropping out: the BCSS CARES (Connecting And Retaining Excellent Students) Program. Leaders in the college's Boyer Center for Student Success (BCSS) noted that students in the Murky Middle are often not on academic probation but can still be academically struggling. BCSS is well positioned to make a difference in the Murky Middle because of advisers' ability to support students in need and pair them with academic coaches trained to intervene and implement strategies for academic progression and retention.

About the College of Education and Health Professions: The College of Education and Health Professions offers advanced academic degrees as well as professional development opportunities and learning communities in service to the education and health systems of Arkansas and beyond. The college provides the education and experiences for various professional roles, ranging from community mental health counselors to school teachers and leaders. Programs in adult and higher education, along with educational technology and sport management, offer a broad range of options. In addition to education-related opportunities, the college prepares nurses, speech-language pathologists, health educators and administrators, recreation professionals, rehabilitation counselors and human performance researchers.