Erikson Institute

ERIKSON INSTITUTE IS THE PREMIER INDEPENDENT INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.

ACADEMICS: THROUGH CONTEMPORARY MASTER'S DEGREE, DOCTORAL DEGREE, AND GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, ERIKSON INSTITUTE PREPARES LEADERS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL WORK, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. WE OFFER THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH CLASSES ON CAMPUS AND ONLINE. WE ALSO OFFER PROGRAMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HONE THEIR SKILLS, LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES, AND EARN CREDITS TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LICENSES. IN FALL 2021, OUR ENROLLMENT STOOD STRONG AT 468 STUDENTS, WITH LITTLE ATTRITION RESULTING FROM THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC. NEARLY HALF (45%) OF ERIKSON'S STUDENTS ARE BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC). AS ERIKSON CONTINUES TO EXTEND ITS REACH THROUGH INCREASED ONLINE PROGRAMMING, OVER A QUARTER OF OUR STUDENTS (26%) ARE FROM OUT OF STATE. UPON GRADUATING, ERIKSON'S DIVERSE GROUP OF OVER 3,200 ALUMNI GO ON TO WORK ACROSS CHICAGO, THE NATION, AND INTERNATIONALLY IN A RANGE OF PROFESSIONS WHERE THEIR UNIQUE UNDERSTANDING OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVES CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY IN EDUCATION, SERVICE, AND LEADERSHIP ROLES.

DIRECT SERVICES: ERIKSON PROVIDES SERVICES DIRECTLY TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS CONSULTING AND TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE THEM. IN 2021, A TOTAL OF 319 FAMILIES WERE SUPPORTED BY THE EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH AND DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. OVER 4,300 SERVICE HOURS WERE PROVIDED TO THESE FAMILIES SITEWIDE (IN CHICAGO'S RIVER NORTH, LITTLE VILLAGE, HUMBOLDT PARK, AND AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS)-1,031 OF WHICH WERE OFFERED PRO-BONO. NOTABLY, THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HAS REMAINED A CONSTANT SOURCE OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT CHICAGO DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. TO PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ADOPTED A HIPAA COMPLIANT VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM, WHICH CONTINUES TO BE A PRIMARY MEANS OF SERVING FAMILIES SITEWIDE AS PUBLIC HEALTH CONDITIONS REMAIN UNSTABLE. FURTHERMORE, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROJECT WITH THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SERVES OVER 4,400 FAMILIES ANNUALLY ACROSS ILLINOIS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, ERIKSON DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALISTS SERVE CHILDREN IN THE CHILD-WELFARE SYSTEM DUE TO ABUSE OR NEGLECT AND HELP THE STATE IN CRUCIAL DECISION-MAKING THAT AFFECT THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

RESEARCH, POLICY & LEADERSHIP: ERIKSON CONDUCTS RESEARCH THAT BRIDGES THEORY AND PRACTICE, GENERATING NEW KNOWLEDGE THAT INVIGORATES OUR ACADEMIC COURSES, SERVICES, AND PROGRAMS, AND IMPROVES LIFE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN CHICAGO AND THROUGHOUT THE NATION. RESEARCH AREAS INCLUDE EARLY CHILDHOOD MATH, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, LITERACY, HOME BASED CHILDCARE, HOME VISITING PROGRAMS, AND TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. USING EVIDENCED-BASED RESEARCH, ERIKSON'S EARLY CHILDHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (ECLA) PROVIDES EARLY CHILDHOOD AND CIVIC LEADERS WITH CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT POLICY SETTING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION. PARTICIPANTS HAVE INCLUDED SOME OF THE STATE'S LEADING POLICYMAKERS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, SUCH AS ILLINOIS LT. GOVERNOR JULIANA STRATTON. ERIKSON'S POLICY AND LEADERSHIP DEPARTMENT RELEASED THE SECOND EDITION OF THE RISK AND REACH REPORT IN JULY 2021, WHICH FEATURES DATA THAT PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE, COUNTY-BY-COUNTY ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS THAT UNDERMINE OPTIMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 916,880 CHILDREN AGED 5 AND UNDER IN ILLINOIS (7.32% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION) AND COMPARES THEM TO THE REACH OF PUBLICLY FUNDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOOD WELL-BEING. THE REPORT IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO BUILD A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND DEVELOP ACTION PLANS TO BETTER ALLOCATE RESOURCES, IMPROVE POLICIES, AND DEVELOP STRONGER SYSTEMS SO YOUNG CHILDREN CAN REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.