Hello! My name is Sophia Harris (she/her) and I am a rising senior in the Brooks School majoring in Policy Analysis Management with a prospective minor in Human Development. This summer I will be working in the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. Specifically I will be helping in the Family and Community Development department, on a variety of projects but primarily the 2Gen PSitWorks Parenting Curriculum. “The Parenting Skills Workshop Series© (PSWS) was created in 1986 in response to a Tompkins County family court judge who identified a community need: families facing charges of child neglect and abuse required parenting education and support to break recurrent cycles of maltreatment. The goal of PS It Works! is to replace impulsive behaviors with rational behaviors and ineffective or hurtful parenting styles with effective, child-friendly parenting skills.” The 2Gen adaptation specifically targets youth aged 6-10. It highlights the importance of the role of both children and adults in each other’s lives.
My first week was marked by beginning to familiarize myself with the office and starting to help with edits on the original PS it Works curriculum preceding the facilitator training this coming monday. I read the curriculum for formatting, gendered language, and other possible suggestions. I also began to assist in data entry and coding of survey responses for past participants of the PS it Works class in order to engage in future data analysis.
Finally, I have been able to assist with the implementation of a current program, the Family Playgroup. This program is designed to support the needs of parents and caregivers as well as children ages 1-4. The participants engage in free play together. They then separate into groups. Half of the participants do a baby doll circle storytime with their family, while the other half go to a nutrition Q and A and snack preparation. The families reconvene for a storytime. They then switch rooms and do the part they haven’t experienced yet. The families then come back together for a free play with their kids.