The years from birth to age 8 are crucial for children’s growth and learning. Along with expanding their vocabulary and learning to count, this is a key period for children to develop social and emotional skills that are linked to better school performance and lifelong well-being.
Social and emotional development helps children form positive relationships, understand emotions, manage behavior and make thoughtful decisions. Building these skills early on enables children to thrive, both now and later as adults.
While many Nebraska children grow up facing adversity, research shows high-quality experiences and caring relationships can make a difference in their life outcomes — ensuring a strong future for our state.
That’s where TransformED comes in.
What is TransformED?
TransformED is a collaborative research initiative at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that focuses on promoting children’s social and emotional development. Over five years, the initiative aims to achieve this by:
- Enhancing early childhood education services.
- Strengthening connections across early childhood systems.
- Supporting the early childhood workforce.
University, state and community partners are working together to address Nebraska’s early childhood education challenges in partnership with program administrators and classroom educators statewide. Their goals: enhance workforce practices and retention, and promote lasting, positive outcomes for children.
TransformED is funded by a UNL Grand Challenges Catalyst grant.
“This initiative is about supporting educators’ well-being and ensuring high-quality experiences for all children that strengthen social and emotional development,” said Lisa Knoche, principal investigator and co-director of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools. “Children’s social and emotional skills will serve them throughout life — and position them to become confident, productive citizens who will make Nebraska a great place to live.”
Why is this work needed?
TransformED is needed because:
- Nebraska’s early childhood workforce is in crisis — with high burnout and turnover rates. Educators need innovative supports to promote their well-being and give children the best education and care possible.
- All young children, especially those facing adversity, need high-quality early care and education that prioritizes their social and emotional well-being. Building these skills helps them thrive as adults.
- Children learn and grow best when families, educators and communities understand the importance of nurturing social and emotional development for lifelong success.
In Nebraska, about one in four children face emotional, developmental or behavioral problems that, if left unaddressed, can have consequences immediately and throughout adulthood. Early intervention is key to prevent lifelong setbacks.
“The early childhood workforce is facing significant challenges, including rising behavioral challenges combined with gaps in training, burnout and an overstretched system,” said Knoche. “Educators need more support to manage work-related stress, and practical, research-backed strategies that we know work for kids.”
How are challenges being addressed?
To address Nebraska’s early childhood challenges and promote lasting change, the TransformED team is using a comprehensive and coordinated approach that includes:
- Promoting innovative practices: Building capacity among early childhood educators and streamlining the implementation of evidence-based interventions in partnership with Rooted in Relationships. Learn about the Connections for Kids approach.
- Enhancing assessment: Developing an innovative assessment tool to measure children’s social and emotional skills and generate meaningful data for educators, families and researchers. Learn about the Thriving Children assessment tool.
- Supporting collaboration and community: Providing opportunities for professional collaboration, connecting various partners in early childhood education and engaging with communities through a public awareness campaign. Learn about the Nurture Nebraska campaign and future events.
“To support our early childhood educators and encourage them to stay in the field, it’s essential to care for their well-being,” said Knoche. “It’s also critical to engage families and communities statewide in understanding the importance of social and emotional development. These skills offer protective factors that improve resilience, are foundational to children’s well-being and reduce the risk of future difficulties that could have major implications for the state.”
Interested?
To learn more about TransformED, including opportunities to get involved and findings as they become available, please send us a message.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s TransformED is a collaborative research initiative that promotes children’s social and emotional development by enhancing early childhood education services, strengthening connections across systems and supporting the workforce. TransformED is funded by a Grand Challenges Catalyst grant from the UNL Office of Research and Innovation.