Thriving kids matter.
They bring wonder, joy, and hugs into our lives, and have the unique ability to anchor us in the present while fixing our vision on the future. Here are some ways Illinois researchers are enriching the lives of kids.
Illinois researchers design, develop, and assess new technologies to help teachers bring complex STEM content to life. Embodied, augmented, and virtual reality tools and environments empower students and can address issues of equity and access for diverse learners.
Did you know?
Students across the country faced an array of social, emotional, mental, and physical issues as they returned to school after the COVID pandemic. To help ease that transition in Rantoul, Illinois researchers involved middle school students, parents, and educators in the research and planning of a program to help students become “architects of social change.”
“At Garden Hills Academy we’ve worked with Illinois researchers to learn more about the students we serve and devise strategies on how best to serve them academically and socially. This has been especially true as more students who speak the Q’anjob’al language enter our schools.”
dr. Asia Fuller, principal
Garden Hills Academy (unit 4)
1982
The year the Krannert Center Youth Series was established to bring live performance to students from public, private, and home schools throughout the region.
360,000
The number of local young people who have enjoyed Youth Series performances since 1982.
Illinois Science Explorers was established in 2023 to transform research at Illinois into STEAM enrichment programs for local kids. The outreach group partners with the Champaign Park District’s Martens Center, integrating social and behavioral science in its programming to increase impact.
Q&A: Erica Mason, Special Education researcher at Illinois
What do you enjoy about the Champaign-Urbana area?
As a life-long Midwesterner, I especially enjoy the trees and green spaces in my neighborhood and on campus.
Briefly explain your research.
In partnership with local teachers, we are reimagining mathematics intervention so that students, including those with disabilities, can have access to high-quality mathematics education. One goal is to disrupt conventional notions of “smartness” and “ability” so that all students have the opportunity to engage.
What sparked your interest in this research?
The middle school we partnered with shared concerns about the nature of instruction that was happening in math intervention, which prompted us to co-design research (across multiple years) and begin transforming it into something new.
How do you hope your work impacts people?
Our shared hope with our partner school is that students, specifically those with disabilities, develop a deep understanding of mathematics, that they see themselves as mathematical thinkers, and that mathematics teachers are supported to cultivate their practice in alignment with these hopes.
Did you know?
Children of all ages (and adults!) can receive diagnostic and therapeutic services at the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Clinic. Patients have access to cutting-edge research in the field of communication disorders and an audiology program that’s consistently ranked as one of the outstanding programs in the nation. (Learn more below!)
