Karina Du is currently pursuing her PhD in special education and will be one of the first students to complete the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Certificate, a joint program from the Institute of Human Development and the Goldman School of Public Policy. Her interest in working more on teacher training, research and policy was inspired from her work as a classroom teacher.  

“My transition stems from the recognition that I needed to shift my focus from classroom-level support into thinking more about systems and policies,” she said. “Research and policy on inclusion have been around for decades, but little has changed in implementation. A lot of the challenges I was seeing and experiencing on the ground stemmed from structures that were out of my classroom control. For example, I couldn't place my kiddos in inclusive settings, if that setting wasn't offered in my school or district. Teachers can’t be expected to support children with disabilities if they aren't offered adequate training and administrative support. I knew I needed to learn more about how organizations function and how policy decisions are made to identify effective solutions or new practices in collaboration with those most impacted.”

With Karina’s background in early childhood education, BA in psychology and sociology, MA and teaching credential in special education, the Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science and Child Policy Certificate was a perfect match for her interests. “With all of the new early education policy changes, including expansion of universal preschool and focus on equity and inclusion, it has been invaluable to engage in coursework and opportunities to learn from multiple perspectives and collaborate with students and faculty across disciplines,” she said. 

Early childhood is both effective and efficient as a point of early intervention; children’s trajectories of health and well-being can be improved dramatically, at a relatively lower cost, for their lifetime outcomes. The Transdisciplinary Early Learning Science & Child Policy Graduate Certificate enriches students' area of study and gives them hands-on skills for working with or on behalf of young children. 

“We know that those first few years of early learning are foundational for development, and families and communities are such a critical component of the process,” Karina said. “I love partnering and working alongside families and communities to contextualize learning in ways that are responsive and nurturing to these relationships!” 

While the importance of early childhood has been more and more clearly identified, it can be difficult for professionals to impact the field and their own communities.  This focus on early childhood policy helps students build the essential knowledge and skills needed to connect science to policy, and to make impacts that will last a lifetime. 

Students can work towards solving complex problems that they are inspired to address.  Karina is leveraging the work in the program with her current position.

“I currently work for the San Mateo County Office of Education as a project specialist supporting districts’ efforts to expand their continuum of early childhood special education services,” she said. “I primarily work with teachers to train and coach teachers on inclusive practices, and work with program leaders to build out collaboration across systems. In this role, I am constantly learning about new policy changes and research within early education and special education to support practice in a way that is localized, relevant, and applicable to our teachers and administrators. It is exciting to be a part of the development and conversations regarding implementation on a county level and to see/experience firsthand how we are planning, responding, evaluating, and problem-solving around new policies! My studies and coursework within TELS&CP have really gone hand-in-hand with this work by supporting me to develop theoretical and research-based knowledge, and analytic skills in understanding the mechanisms of policy and decision-making.” 

Karina demonstrates both the importance and relevance of the program to current or aspiring professionals working in the field. While she is sure that her career path will continue with education, she is undecided about exactly which route it will take: 

“Whether I engage in research, policy, or practice, (or maybe all of the above!) I want to ensure that my work is always done in collaboration with those in our community and grounded in the experiences of children, families, and teachers, including those who may hold intersecting identities,” she said.” 

We are excited to see how Karina impacts the field, and are supporting her mission and aspirations.  To become a student in the TELS&CP program, more information can be found on our website at ihd.berkeley.edu. 

Posted on September 6, 2023