Research Centers and Initiatives

CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND CHILDHOOD STUDIES
Myra Bluebond-Langner, Director
J. William Whitlow, Co-Director

As the Center for Children and Childhood Studies is about to mark its second year, we take pride in the following accomplishments:

I. Accomplishments of RUCCCS

• Received funding for various Center projects and programs
• Implementation of 2nd year Seminar Series in Childhood Studies for Center Associates
• Continued implementation of the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy
• Recognized in Chronicle of Higher Education and Anthropology News as a leader in Childhood Studies
• Development and implementation of Regional Seminar Series and Fellowship Program in Childhood Studies, "Rethinking Childhood in the Twenty-First Century"
• Awarded five Research Project Seed Money Grants and provided grant development consultant to assist Associates with individual projects and leverage additional funds
• Further development of the Center's web site (see http://children.camden.rutgers.edu)
• Acquired five manuscripts for the Rutgers University Press series in Childhood Studies
• Identification of 31 manuscripts for consideration in the Rutgers University Press series in Childhood Studies
• Implemented Minor in Childhood Studies with an emphasis on children's health and well being
• Offered first multidisciplinary course in childhood studies, Introduction to Childhood Studies (50:163:101)
• Publication of quarterly newsletter of Center activities mailed to over 800 individuals

II. Research and Public Presentations by Center Associates
In the past year, Center Faculty Associates have published books, articles, and chapters in the area of childhood studies and have delivered papers related to childhood studies at professional conferences and to lay audiences. For a detailed list, please see individual faculty surveys.

III. Center Associates Seminar Series
The Center has organized a series of nine seminars, each led by one of the five Faculty Research Support recipients. At these seminars, the faculty discuss their research and solicit comments from colleagues. These seminars have been extraordinarily well attended.

• Stuart Charmé: "The Emerging Jewish Identities of Childhood and Adolescence"
• Janet Golden: "History of the Health Experiences of Children and Youth in the United States from the Colonial Period Through the Twentieth Century"
• Jon'a Meyer: "Towards and Understanding of Women Who Kill Their Newborns"
• Jane Siegel: "The Impact of Parental Criminality and Incarceration on Children"
• John Wall: "Animals and Innocents: Theological Reflections on the Meaning and Purpose of Child Rearing"

IV. Regional Seminar Series and Fellowship Program in Childhood Studies
The Center has organized a series of seven monthly seminars that bring together scholars from a variety of disciplines working in the area of childhood studies to discuss their work and directions for future research.

The theme of the series for 2002-2003 is "Rethinking Childhood in the Twenty-First Century." The Center solicited junior and senior fellowship applications. The following individuals were selected for fellowship positions and will present a paper on their current research.

Senior Fellows:

• David Rosen, Professor of Anthropology and Law, Fairleigh Dickinson University, will present the paper, "Children at War: Cultural and Legal Models of the Role of Child Soldiers in Contemporary Warfare."
• Enid Schildkrout, Division Chair and Curator of African Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History, will present the paper, "Children's Art and Cultural Heritage."
• Annie Steinberg, Assistant Professor, Department Pediatrics and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will present the paper, "Should Legal Standards Dictate the Relevance of Attachment and Child Well Being? A Comparison of Child-Centered Decisions in the Child Welfare System and in Child Custody Disputes."

Junior Fellows:

• Cynthia Dell Clark, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State University, will present the paper, "How Imagination Aids Childhood Coping: Ethnographic, Experimental and Clinical Evidence."
• Cynthia Connolly, Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University School of Health and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, will present the paper, "Prevention Through Detention: The Pediatric Tuberculosis Movement in the United States, 1909-1945."
• Sharon Hines Smith, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Rutgers University, will present the paper, "HIV/AIDS Affected Children Parented by Grandparents: Challenges Posed for Case Management."

V. The Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy (CCCL) as a Center Project
The Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy has been designed to meet the needs of Camden's children and families in the area of literacy. The Campaign recognizes that the first 1,000 days of a child's life are critical to language development. The Center in cooperation with the Camden community works to address this challenge through six comprehensive initiatives. The Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy provides collaborative, community-driven, child-focused programs that synthesize and extend literacy and educational resources on behalf of Camden's children.

Accomplishments July 1,2001 - May 30, 2002

• Sponsored 30 library outreach programs at the Camden Free City Library
• Distributed 12,000 books at Camden health clinics as part of the Prescription to Read Program
• Distributed 9,102 books as part of the Library Outreach Initiative
• Implemented 4 new Prescription to Read sites in Camden city
• Held 27 Childcare Literacy Training seminars attended by 402 childcare staff from Camden city
• Implemented Abbott Outreach Initiative to assist key agencies with the registration process and to assist childcare staff with training and certification in order to meet Abbott standards
• Sponsored 12 Community Network meetings with attendees representing 33 Camden agencies
• Conducted 3 physician sensitivity sessions attended by 44 physicians at Cooper Hospital with Jackie Mintz, Director of the Literacy Volunteers of America
• Implemented data collection and evaluation component of the Campaign

VI. External Grants Received by the Center and/or Center Associates June 01, 2001 - June 03, 2002

• Verizon Foundation, $100,000 (2002-2003) for the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy (Myra Bluebond-Langner, Angela Connor Morris)
• William T. Grant Foundation, $259,446 (2002-2004) for the Development of Civic Competence in Adolescence (Daniel Hart)
• Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, $100,000 (2002-2004) for Medical Decision Making When Cure Is Not Likely (Myra Bluebond-Langner)
• Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, $25,000 (2002-2003) for the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy (Myra Bluebond-Langner, Angela Connor Morris)
• John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, $500,000 (2001-2003) for Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy (Myra Bluebond-Langner, Angela Connor Morris)
• Annie E. Casey Foundation, $25,000 (2001-2002) for the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy (Myra Bluebond-Langner, Angela Connor Morris)
• Campbell's Soup, $7,500 (2001-2002) for Camden STARR Program (Daniel Hart, Robert Atkins)
• Campbell's Soup, $7,500 (2002-2003) for Camden STARR Program (Daniel Hart, Robert Atkins)
• EPA, $25,000 (2001-2003) for SPARC-Buying Green for Chem Labs (J. William Whitlow)
• Johnson and Johnson Family of Companies, $50,000 (2001-2002) for Center Operations and Expansion of the Project on Enrollment and Impact of Enrollment in New Jersey KidCare (Myra Bluebond-Langner, J. William Whitlow, Daniel Hart)
• Johnson and Johnson Family of Companies, $50,000 (2002-2003) for Center Operations (Myra Bluebond-Langner, J. William Whitlow)
• National Hospice Organization, $2,875 (2001-2002) for the Children's International Project Palliative / Hospice Service (ChIPPS) (Myra Bluebond-Langner)
• REACH Fund of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, $45,000 (2002) for Medical Decision Making When Cure Is Not Likely (Myra Bluebond-Langner)
• Rutgers University Press, $1,000 (2001-2002) for assistance with the series in Childhood Studies (Myra Bluebond-Langner)
• NESCAUM, $7,000 (2001-2002) for SPARC (J. William Whitlow)

VII. Internal Grants Received by the Center June 01, 2001 - June 03, 2002

• Dean Margaret Marsh grant, $50,000 for Regional Seminar Series and Fellowship Program in Childhood Studies (Myra Bluebond-Langner, J. William Whitlow)
• Rutgers University SROA Program, $90,000 (2001-2002) for Center Operations (Myra Bluebond-Langner, J. William Whitlow)
• Rutgers University Vice President Office of Student Affairs, New Brunswick $7,000 for a service learning symposium (J. William Whitlow, Angela Connor Morris)

VIII. Funding Received Since Formation of the Center March 2000 (see below)

• $1,497,271 in external funds from foundations
• $13, 905 in external funds from private donors
• $25,200 in income from services
• $304,000 in internal funds
• $ 1,840,421 total internal and external funds

IX. Press Coverage of RUCCCS Activities

• American Anthropology Newsletter
• Camden County Courier
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• Courier Post (Camden)
• Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ)
• Daily Record (Morristown, NJ)
• Home News (Middlesex County, NJ)
• Home News Tribune (East Brunswick, NJ)
• Hunterdon/Somerset County News
• Matrix
• Press (Atlantic City, NJ)
• Philadelphia Inquirer

X. Future Projects of RUCCCS for 2002-2003

• Identify and cultivate an individual for endowment of the Center
• Meeting of advisory board
• Formation of Center steering committee
• Continuation of publication of newsletter (now quarterly) and expansion of mailing list
• Further development of web site
• Expansion of Project on Enrollment of Children in New Jersey KidCare
• Interdisciplinary, collaborative study of Children's Health and Well Being in Southern New Jersey including children living in urban, suburban and rural settings
• Continuation of identification of manuscripts for publication in Rutgers University Press Book Series in Childhood Studies
• Consideration of major in childhood studies
• Continuation of multidisciplinary seminar in Childhood Studies for scholars in the Greater Delaware Valley
• Development of visiting scholars and post-doctoral program, including search for funding
• Continuation of internal seminar series in Childhood Studies
• Expansion of the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy to include the Abbott Information Outreach Initiative
• Plan for service and outreach project in the area of juvenile justice in the Camden County region that includes a strong research component
• Expansion of the evaluation of the Camden Campaign for Children's Literacy
• Publication of the "Blueprint for Children' Literacy in Camden" manual, August 2002

Center for Children and Childhood Studies
Total Monies Received Since Formation March 2000

Corporations/Foundations/Government Agencies
Annie E. Casey Foundation 2001-2002 $25,000.00
Campbell's Soup 2000-2001 $7,500.00
Campbell's Soup 2001-2002 $7,500.00
Campbell Soup 2002-2003 $7,750.00
EPA (Buying Green for Chem Labs) 2001-2003 $25,000.00
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation $25,000.00
Johnson & Johnson 2000-2001 $20,000.00
Johnson & Johnson 2001-2002 $50,000.00
Johnson & Johnson 2002-2003 $50,000.00
Knight Foundation 2000-2001 $150,000.00
Knight Foundation 2001-2003 $500,000.00
NHO 2000-2001 $1,200.00
NHO 2001-2002 $2,875.00
REACH Fund 2002 $45,000.00
Rippel 2000-2001 $100,000.00
Rutgers University Press 2000-2001 $2,000.00
Rutgers University Press 2001-2002 $1,000.00
Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation $100,000.00
ATTC/SAMSHA 2000-2001 $6,000.00
NESCAUM 2000-2001 $5,000.00
NESCAUM 2001-2002 $7,000.00
Verizon Foundation $100,000.00
William T. Grant Foundation $259,446.00
Subtotal Corporation/Foundations/ Government Agencies $1,497,271.00

Gifts (Discretionary)
Avayou $25.00
Beales $200.00
Bluebond-Langner $3,000.00
Corcoran $200.00
Diglio-Rinko $25.00
Farrell $200.00
First Presb. Ch Nursery School $550.00
Gutman $500.00
Hart $500.00
Klaczynska $100.00
Lawrence $2,500.00
Lutz $150.00
Marsh $100.00
Ronner $475.00
Snitzer $5,000.00
Thomas & Mary Revell $50.00
Weston $25.00
Willmann, Meyer, Shelton& Hiller, Inc $250.00
Wolfson $100.00
Subtotal Gifts $13,950.00

Income from Services
Drew Humphries, "Caregiver Addiction and Its Effects on Children: Curriculum Development for Elementary School Teachers" $2,000.00
Brimm Medical Arts SPARC Teacher Training $12,200.00
Linda Wharton, "Equity Training & Outreach Project" $1,000.00
Kathleen Frame, "School Nurse Certificate Program Feasibility Study" $10,000.00
Subtotal Income from Services $25,200.00
Subtotal External Funds $1,536,421.00

Internal Funds
Marsh Account $10,000.00
Regional Seminar Funding 2001-2002 $50,000.00
Roger Dennis Account $7,000.00
Rutgers OSL 2001-2002 $7,000.00
SROA 2000-2001 $140,000.00
SROA 2001-2002 $90,000.00
Subtotal Internal Funds $304,000.00

TOTAL INTERNAL & EXTERNAL FUNDS $1,840,421.00

CENTER FOR STATE CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES
Alan Tarr, Director

Grants: In early 2001 the Center for State Constitutional Studies received a grant of $300,000 from the Ford Foundation to undertake work on "State Constitutions for the 21st Century," a project designed to assist in the task of constitutional reform in the American states. This has provided the focus of much of the Center's work during 2001-2002. In 2002 the Center received a Ford Foundation grant of $100,000 to continue work on that project.

Conferences: In July, 2001, the Center for State Constitutional Studies co-sponsored a conference with the European Academy in Bolzano, Italy, on "Federalism, Sub-National Constitutional Arrangements, and the Protection of Minorities." The papers at that conference are being revised for publication as a book by Greenwood Press.

In February, 2002, the Center's Director, Alan Tarr, directed a conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida, on "Direct Democracy in the American Constitutional Tradition" under the auspices of the Liberty Fund.

Publications (Alan Tarr):
Judicial Process and Judicial Policymaking, 3rd. ed. (Wadsworth, 2002).
"The State of State Constitutions," Louisiana Law Review (2002).
"For the People: Direct Democracy in the State Constitutional Tradition," in Elliott Abrams, ed., Reason or Folly? Public Opinion and Direct Democracy Today (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002).
"O'Brien v. United States," State Bills of Rights," and "State Constitutional Law," in David Schultz, ed., Encyclopedia of American Law (Facts of File, 2002).
"Buck v. Bell," in Judith Baer, ed., Historical and Multicultural Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States (Greenwood Press, 2002).
"Arthur T. Vanderbilt: A Retrospective," "The Separation of Powers and State Constitutions," and "The Clash of Rights and the Cyprus Conflict," Occasional Papers, Center for State Constitutional Studies web site.

Publications (Robert Williams):
Legislative Law and Statutory Interpretation: Cases and Materials, 3rd ed. (2001) coauthor
"Old Constitutions and New Issues: National Lessons from Vermont's State
Constitutional Case on Marriage of Same-Sex Couples," Boston College Law Review 43 (2001).
"Foreword: Tort Reform and State Constitutional Law," Rutgers Law Journal 32 (2002).
"Foreword: Continuing Developments in State Constitutional Law," Temple Law Review 74 (2002).

Papers and Lectures (Alan Tarr):
"The New Judicial Federalism--Creation and Evolution" at the Academy for Politics and Current Affairs of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Munich, Germany (July, 2001).
"New Jersey's Constitution in Perspective" at a Teachers' Institute on the New Jersey Constitution, Courts, and Governance in New Brunswick (July, 2001).
"Federalism, Sub-National Constitutionalism, and the Protection of the Rights of Minorities in the United States," at a conference on "Federalism, Sub-National Constitutional Arrangements, and the Protection of Minorities," in Bolzano, Italy (July, 2001).
"Reforming the State Judicial Article," at the annual meeting of the Conference of State Court Administrators in Washington, DC (December, 2001).
"State Constitutions and the Separation of Powers" at the midyear meeting of the American Bar Association in Philadelphia (February, 2002).
"The Clash of Rights and the Cyprus Problem," at a conference sponsored by the Intercollege in Nicosia, Cyprus (April, 2002).

Papers and Lectures (Robert Williams):
"Subnational Constitutions and Minority Rights," at a conference on "Federalism, Sub- National Constitutional Arrangements, and the Protection of Minorities," in Bolzano, Italy (July, 2001).
"The New Jersey State Constitution," Office of Legislative Services, Trenton, NJ (October, 2001).
"Interpreting State Constitutions as Unique Legal Documents," New York University, Institute for Judicial Administration, Inc., Appellate Judges Seminar: Advanced Judges Series (April, 2002)
"Techniques of State Constitutional Change," New Jersey State League of Municipalities, Constitutional Convention: Process for Tax Reform (April and May, 2002).

Ongoing Editorial Projects:
"Reference Guides to State Constitutions of the American States" (Greenwood Press); four volumes were published during 2001-2002.
Sub-National Constitutional Law volumes of the International Encyclopedia of Laws (Kluwer Law International); one volume was published during 2001-2002.
Rutgers Law Journal, Annual Issue on State Constitutional Law (Fifteenth year).

PROJECTED ACTIVITIES, 2002-2003

"State Constitutions for the Twenty-first Century": The Center plans to continue work on this effort to assist states in undertaking constitutional reform. Three publications will emanate from this project. A guide to drafting state constitutions will be completed and published during this period. A guide to the politics of state constitutional reform will be completed during this period; the prospectus for this volume is currently under review by publishers. A guide to substantive reform of state constitutions will be completed during this period. The Center will also continue its constitutional advising in Alabama and other states as part of this project.

"Global Dialogue on Federalism in the Twenty-first Century": The Center, in conjunction with the Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government at Lafayette College, has been invited to serve jointly as the Theme Coordinator for "Constitutional Origins, Structure, and Change in Federal Democracies," a joint project of the Forum of Federations and the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies. This should be a three-year project, involving officials and scholars from eleven federal systems, and will entail international and single-country conferences, leading to preparation of a book-length handbook to guide federal practice.

Conference on Gubernatorial Succession in New Jersey: Planning is underway for this one-day conference in Trenton in the fall of 2002. The Center will co-sponsor the conference with the Public Policy Center of New Jersey and the New Jersey Reporter Magazine.

American Bar Association: Alan Tarr has been invited to write a white paper on judicial independence in the states to assist the ABA's Commission on the Twenty-first Century Judiciary in its deliberations.

Robert Williams will lecture on "State Constitutional Rights Methodologies," at the American Bar Association's Appellate Judges Seminar Series in Vermont in August, 2002.

Summer Seminar: Robert Williams and Alan Tarr will lecture in the NEH Summer Seminar on "History, Tradition, and Democratic Theory in American State Constitutions: America's Complete Constitutional Experience" during July, 2002.

Montana Constitutional Anniversary: Alan Tarr has been invited to deliver a lecture at a symposium at the University of Montana Law School marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Montana Constitution in September, 2002.

New Jersey Constitutional Commission: Robert Williams is co-editing a volume that will analyze the work of the 1873 New Jersey Constitutional Commission and the 1874 Legislature, leading to the 1875 adoption of a major package of state constitutional amendments. The volume will include an edited and indexed collection of the newpapers' verbatim coverage of the proceedings in the commission and the legislature.

CENTER FOR STRATEGIC URBAN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Director

I. Summary:

The Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership was founded in 1992, under the leadership of Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago. During the 2001-2002, the Center continued to focus its efforts in six areas in support of its mission: pre-K-16 initiatives/program development; leadership training programs; advocacy and policy analysis; research/academic innovations; grantsmanship/development; and scholarly activities.

It concentrated its efforts on two major initiatives: (1) the Rutgers/LEAP Initiative and (2) the development and sponsorship of new leadership and professional development programs.

Grantsmanship - Grants received during 2001-2002 include:

• $190,000 from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for the Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute for the Summers of 2001 and 2002.
• Through the Abbott legislation, the Center received a $300,000 contract to operate a full-day pre-school program for 3 and 4 year olds at LEAP. (Sources: Department of Human Services and Department of Education)
• Funding for a second year of the Rutgers/LEAP Even Start Family Literacy Program was received in the amount of $160,000. The program provides early childhood education, adult literacy and basic skills and parenting education to families and children at the LEAP Academy.
• The U.S Department of Education awarded a two-year $400,000 grant to engage in replication of best practices for teacher development and parent engagement from the LEAP experience into schools in other states, including: Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. This effort is part of the National Initiative Field Research Program under the US Department of Education to begin to export best practices from charter schools into mainstream public schools.
• The Fund for New Jersey awarded $100,000 for two grants to engage in planning efforts for the LEAP High school and to establish the Institute for Advanced Placement and Academic Excellence.
• The Geraldine Dodge Foundation awarded $100,000 to continue the implementation of the Teacher Development and Performance Institute during the 2002-2003 year.
• The William Penn Foundation renewed funding for a third year of the Parents Academy for School Reform with the final grant of $130,000 on a three-year commitment of $330,000.
• The Center also sponsored its Annual Fundraising Gala to raise funds for scholarships for LEAP graduates who will attend college. This year, the Gala raised over $100,000.

Staffing - The staff of the Center grew during the year to accommodate programs needs generated by new grants and initiatives. Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor with the Department of Public Administration is the founder and director, as well as the Principal Investigator for the grants and external funding. The Center employs 22 full-time and six part-time employees, making the Center one of the largest units supported by external funds on campus.

II. Rutgers/LEAP Initiative: National and Local Impact-A model for Education Reform and Economic Development

In nine years, the impact of the Rutgers/LEAP Initiative has begun to be reflected both locally and nationally. Rutgers/LEAP responds to the need to develop and implement new approaches for community collaboration and partnership between institutions of higher education, and K-12 schools. This is a critical and important model for transforming schools and improving student achievement in an underperforming urban school district.

LEAP Academy University Charter School

The Rutgers/LEAP Initiative continued to expand its programs. LEAP Academy University Charter Schools now serves 594 students in grades PreK through 9th grade. In July 2001, LEAP graduated its first 8th grade class and opened its high school component in September at a Rutgers owned facility in 319 Cooper Street. Plans are underway for breaking ground on a permanent facility to open in 6th and Cooper Streets in the Fall of 2003.

LEAP reflects a holistic model that brings together a major research university, a public charter school, parents, business and community partners. Its comprehensive approach provides the necessary continuum of education and service to ensure that children are part of a system that supports them from early childhood, high school through college. It offers a unique opportunity to respond to the needs of children and families holistically, rather that bureaucratizing and separating a child's and family's health and social development needs from the child's educational needs.

Rutgers' Centers of Excellence

Through the Rutgers Centers of Excellence, the Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership was successful in securing funding for a variety of programs to support the LEAP Academy, including:

• a $300,000 contract to operate a full-day pre-school program for 3 and 4 year olds in the lower level of the LEAP Academy through the Abbott legislation. The children on this program will move into Kindergarten, thus expanding the educational model to include Pre-K.
• a $650,000 five-year grant from the Department of Education to begin the Rutgers/LEAP Even Start Family Literacy Program. The program provides early childhood education, adult literacy and basic skills and parenting education to families and children at the LEAP Academy.
• a $50,000 from the Fund for New Jersey to support the planning efforts for the LEAP Academy High School and a $50,000 to launch the Institute for Academic Placement and Excellence. This Institute will prepare our 8th through 12th grade students to pass the Advanced Placement examination in key curricular areas, as well as prepare them for the rigors of higher education and for professional career opportunities. This effort will also include students from Medical Arts High School and other local high schools.
• a $460,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to continue the services offered by our Health Center and to expand services under the areas of prenatal care and mental health services. The Rutgers/LEAP Health Center and Human Services Center provides comprehensive medical services to families and children enrolled at the LEAP Academy.

Documentation and Replication of Best Practices

Central to the Rutgers/LEAP Initiative is the efforts for replication of best practices. Over the past year, the Center has been engaged in replicating best practices for teaching and parent engagement into schools in Camden City and has begun the activities for replication of best practices in five states. Through the replication efforts, the Center is engaging other partners and practitioners in a public discourse and national dialogue about collaboration and partnership building to improve urban education. These efforts are also being discussed internationally through the development of partnerships with institutions in Cuban and South Africa. Last year, the Center initiated partnerships with the Hemingway Institute in Cuba and has initiated a dialogue with the Ministry of Education in South Africa. A group of LEAP students and faculty will be visiting South Africa in August 2002 as part of a course, and we will be hosting a delegation from the Ministry of Education in Camden in September 2002. The following provides highlights of specific programs under our replication initiative.

Teacher Development and Performance Institute - The Geraldine Dodge Foundation renewed its support for the Teacher Development and Performance Institute with a $75,000 grant in 2001 and recently renewed its support for the 2002-2003 year in the amount of $100,000. The focus of this effort is on improving the performance of schools and the achievement of students by strengthening the competencies of teachers. This effort has included the following Camden schools: Medical Arts, HB Wilson, Cream, Woodrow Wilson, Catto and Dudley Schools. The main focus of the TDPI is to improve student achievement by strengthening the competencies of teachers and school management teams by addressing the following critical areas: (1) Creating a Culture of Learning; (2) Transforming the School Climate; (3) Transforming Teachers, Principals and Administrators; (4) Transforming the School Community; and, (5) Engaging a Philosophy of Life Long Learning. This program builds on the best practices developed at the LEAP Academy and represents a replication effort to export these practices into local Camden schools.

Parents Academy for School Reform - The William Penn Foundation funded the third year of operations of the Parents Academy for School Reform. The Parents Academy provides a variety of training and development programs for parents, including a Parenting Educator Certificate Program. Through this effort, parents are able to participate in a six-week and/or 30-week training program. The 8-week training module is designed for parents who desire introductory information about becoming more effective parents in terms of understanding the learning and developmental needs of their children, and to acquire some basic understanding about school issues. The 30-week training module is geared towards parents who wish to become parent educators in order to work and assist other parents.

Institute of Best Practices and Innovations in Urban Education - The U.S Department of Education awarded a two-year $400,000 grant to the CSUCL to engage in replication of best practices for teacher development and parent engagement from the LEAP experience into schools in other states, including: Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. This effort is part of the National Initiative Field Research Program under the US Department of Education to begin to export best practices from charter schools into mainstream public schools. Under this effort, we created an Institute of Best Practices and Innovation in Urban Education to operate as the vehicle for implementing and expanding our efforts in training teachers and documenting best practices for teaching the urban learner.

Opportunities for University Faculty and Student Involvement -- The efforts of the Rutgers/LEAP Initiative have created many opportunities for inter-disciplinary, inter-campus and inter-institutional collaboration. The Rutgers/LEAP Initiative brings together multi-disciplinary experiences of faculty and students across schools, departments, and campuses. Rutgers faculty members are currently mentoring teachers at the LEAP Academy in academic areas, as well as working on research projects relevant to urban education and families. Further, Rutgers students are actively involved in the LEAP Academy through academic internships and fellowships. Two courses - LEAP Honors Internship and Urban Practicum provide Rutgers students with an opportunity to tutor and mentor elementary and high school age students in the classroom, while learning new strategies. Under the leadership of Professor Robert Williams and Traci Overton, the School of Law coordinates the School Based Law Clinic and provides classroom projects for students to enhance their knowledge about legal and constitutional issues.

Faculty and students from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey are also engaged as partners with the Center. Through a unique collaborative effort, UMDNJ supports the Health and Human Services Centers and provides the time of a Family Practitioner to provide medical supervision to our Nurse Practitioner and Midwife. Medical students complete internship rotations at the LEAP Health Center, as well as engage in specialized programs such as the HOP Clinic, a free clinic for LEAP families who are uninsured.

Local and National Impact -- Locally, LEAP continues to impact the overall development of the City of Camden by providing: a successful and rigorous educational institution that will produce a cohort of Camden City children that will complete college degrees, thus building capacity for Camden with students that will eventually assume leadership roles in the city and the region; a growing number of employment opportunities for the region, including teaching and staff positions, as well as a number of paraprofessional positions such as Instructional Aides; classroom aides, etc. LEAP currently employs over 100 staff members and has provided a myriad of employment opportunities to parents and local residents; two state-of-the art educational facilities (one existing and one in development) serving as community hubs by providing extended programs and services for children, families and community members; partnerships with local organizations for the development of educational and community programs; and improving the local tax base by empowering families through training and services and providing incentives to reside in the City and contribute to its community revitalization.

At the national level, LEAP provides a model for educating children in urban communities by developing unique and inclusive environments that: improve students' educational achievement, while meeting the health and social needs of all students; replicate and create a new culture of learning; link education to the economic and community development of urban neighborhoods; and create a new school based governance model that provides for the de-bureaucratization of education and for a larger allocation of funds to instructional programs.

III. Leadership and Professional Development Programs

The South Jersey Regional Leadership Institute is a partnership between the CSUCL, the Provost's Office, the Rand Institute and the Center for Management and Entrepreneurship. The program builds on a long-term track record of the Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership in developing training programs for leaders in the corporate, public and non-profit sectors. The SRLI brings together a diverse group of individuals in leadership positions, or who have developed professional experiences that reflect leadership potential, in order to provide them with training in professional and organizational skills within the context of building bridges among urban and suburban communities which are unique in terms of demographics, populations and environments, but share similar challenges.

The overall goal for this effort is to develop a training mechanism that can be used as a strategy to prepare a diverse cadre of South Jersey leaders to work collaboratively and to establish partnerships that will build stronger communities in the cities and under-served areas of the larger six-county southern region. To meet this goal, the training program is aimed at developing the personal, professional and organizational skills of the participants, enhancing the participant's sensitivity and understanding of community service and development and encouraging activism within a context of building bridges of communication and collaboration within the region.

This year, an alumni association was established by Institute graduates to continue to meet, network and engage in joint public/civic service initiatives.

Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute -- The Department of Community Affairs renewed its support for the Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute with a grant in the amount of $95,000 for the summer of 2001 and a grant in the amount of $95,000 for the summer 2002 for a total of $190,000 for FY 2002. Each year, the Institute works with 30 Latino college students on a ten-week summer program. This institute represents a partnership with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs-Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development and the Rutgers' Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership. This joint effort is aimed at providing opportunities for training and experiential learning to Latino college students, while encouraging them to pursue policy level positions in New Jersey, where Latinos represent the second largest majority. Participants are placed in an internship with a state agency, a banking institution, a corporation or a community based non-profit corporation four days per week. One day per week, participants attend an intensive leadership training institute. The training component of the program is designed and delivered by the Rutgers' Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership. Collectively, this program has trained over 300 fellows, who have progressed into graduate careers and positions in government and the private sector.

International and Domestic Programs -- Under Dr. Santiago's leadership, the Center was invited to customize training programs and providing professional coaching to a variety of companies and organizations, including: Janssen Pharmaceutical, United Way of Essex County, Glaxco Smith Kline and New Brunswick Tomorrow.

IV. Advocacy and Policy Analysis

The Center Director, Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago has continued to serve the state as a policy expert for various programs and initiatives, including: amendments to the charter schools law and the administrative code governing charter schools; serving in the transition Team for Governor McGreevy and chairing the Education Committee; serving in a Statewide Advisory Committee on Educational Equity Issues.

Dr. Santiago's work on the area of policy analysis and development included development of legislative proposals, formulation and implementation of legislative strategies, preparation and presentation of expert testimony, and, technical assistance in the amendment and implementation process.

INITIATIVE FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING IN COMPLEX BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (IPCBS)
Joseph V. Martin (Biology) and J. William Whitlow, Jr. (Psychology)

During the last year, the initiative for Information Processing and Complex Biological Systems (IPCBS) has made steady progress in achieving its twin goals of (1) increasing opportunities for collaborative research, within and between departments at Rutgers-Camden and between Rutgers faculty and faculty at neighboring institutions, and (2) incubating an intellectually stimulating environment for discussing complex biological systems, both at the level of faculty research and at the level of undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Facilitation of Collaborative Research

Funding for Collaborative Studies
The research initiative for Information Processing in Complex Biological Systems (IPCBS), which includes researchers in biology, chemistry, computer science and psychology, has continued to expand. This initiative, directed by Joseph V. Martin (co?director: J. W. Whitlow, Jr.) received new funds ($ 50,000) from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education Capacity?Building Funds for Biomedical and Other High?Tech Research. Continued support ($35,000) from the Rutgers University Strategic Resource and Opportunity Analysis (SROA) Program will be used in part as an institutional match for a new grant from the National Science Foundation ($165,100), which has been recommended for funding. The NSF grant will be used to buy a scanning electron microscope for collaborative use by IPCBS members.

Electrophysiology Facility
$30,485 of SROA funds have been used to acquire a patch-clamp station and a variety of other types of equipment for a new shared electrophysiology facility in a central location for use by IPCBS researchers. The facility is nearing completion during the current year. The instructional laboratories will provide a unique experience for advanced undergraduates and graduate students and will also be an important resource for faculty research. For example, the new instrumentation will be useful in answering questions regarding the effects of lead (see below) on the response of particular subtypes of neurotransmitter receptor expressed in tissue culture. Other research might examine the characteristics of single cells in tissue from brain areas involved in visual signal processing.

Proposed Collaborative Studies on the Neurotoxic Effects of Lead Exposure
An application to the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program of the National Science Foundation has been approved for the purchase of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to be used in a project to measure the effects of lead in the nervous system in relation to the toxicity leading to cognitive deficits. In addition, an application has been approved for Biomedical and Other Technology Research Capacity Building Funds (State of New Jersey) for $ 50,000 to be used in Fiscal Year 2002 to upgrading the EM facility and other instrumentation related to this project.

Intellectual Life and Developing Alliances
An important facet of the IPCBS initiative has been the sponsoring of colloquium and informal meetings for exchange of information on signaling systems in biological systems. This year, we have expanded the colloquia to establish links between the Camden campus and other institutions, such as the Stratford campus of UMDNJ, the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, and the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Several of the faculty at UMDNJ have interests in retinal physiology, while two Rutgers-Camden researchers, Bravo and Saidel, have interests in visual information processing. As a result of the newly established linkages between our campuses, a cross-registration program is being implemented between the Masters Program in Biology and the UMDNJ doctoral program in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Further plans could allow UMDNJ doctoral students to conduct dissertation projects in the laboratories of Rutgers-Camden researchers.

SENATOR WALTER RAND INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Richard Harris, Director

For the period of July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002 the Walter Rand Institute concentrated programmatically on two broad areas of applied research and technical assistance: (1) regional development; and (2) capacity-building for nonprofit organizations, primarily those operating in Camden. In addition, the Institute awarded three new Rand Faculty Fellowships (Dr. Shelia Cosminsky, FAS -Migrant Workers in South Jersey; Dr. Julie Kendall, Business - Information Systems and Support of the Arts; Dr. Sharon Gramby Sobukwe, FAS - African American Megachurches and Community Building) and inaugurated an annual fundraising event at which we introduced South Jerseyan of the Year awards, presented to individuals who have contributed to our region in the public (State Senator William Gormley, R-Atlantic County), private (Melvin R. Primas, Commerce Bank), and non-profit sectors (Patricia Egan Jones, Home Port Alliance), respectively. Through corporate sponsorships and ticket sales, the event held on the USS New Jersey, raised approximately $40,000 for student scholarships

On the regional development front, the Institute completed, for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, a study of the seven southern counties of New Jersey that forecast development trends through the year 2020, based on an analysis of census data from 1980, 1990, and 2000. These forecasts were compared to results from an opinion survey of South Jersey residents' preferences on development to determine if the region was developing in accord or in contrast with those preferences. The report is currently being printed for dissemination to key policy makers. In addition, the Institute has completed the GIS mapping and public outreach components in a DCA-funded project to produce a regional plan for Camden and 13 surrounding communities. Those results will be shared with policy makers at the state and county level through briefings and with residents at three public meetings in the fall of 2002.

On the technical assistance front, our major activities revolved around grants from the William Penn Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The first was for our Rand Roundtable project (under the direction of Dr. Deborah Wright) through which we have regularly brought together over 60 small and mid-sized nonprofits working in Camden to encourage collaboration and provide workshops as well as direct, customized capacity-building help. Under the second, the Institute has served as the Casey Foundation's convener and facilitator for their Family Economic Success (FES) initiative in Camden. This is a collaboration among key Camden nonprofits, financial institutions and the IRS to promote financial literacy, use of the earned income tax credit, and asset building for lower income families.