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SMILE Lab Members Karissa Lim, Ana Ledesma, and Michelle Liu present their research Recommendations to Foster Adjustment in Schools Among Newcomer Immigrant Students. This poster session discussed the importance of identifying school-level targets for intervention by exploring newcomer immigrant adolescents' (NIA) perceptions of school climate. The poster summarizes the research study and shares NIA's recommendations for specific services and supports that would help improve school climate and foster their adjustment to U.S. schools.

Dr. Arora was a panelist in “An Equity-Centered Approach to Meeting the Educational Needs of Newcomer Immigrant and Asylum Seeker Youth in NYC Public Schools”—part of a series of equity roundtables convened in partnership with City Council Member Nantasha Williams; NYU’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research; the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools; the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law; and the Vera Institute of Justice. Research Alliance Executive Director Cheri Fancsali and Metro Center Executive Director Fabienne Doucet planned and moderated the education panel discussion, featuring Selcuk Sirin and Sumie Okazaki (NYU Steinhardt); Lara Evangelista (Internationals Network for Public Schools); Asenhat Gomez (El Puente); Khanh Le (CUNY Queens College) and Prerna Arora (Columbia University Teachers College). Also in attendance were City Council Member Williams, Council Member Rita Joseph (Chair of the Education Committee), Council Member Farah Louis, and Council Member Althea Stevens. Click here to read further.

Researchers can tailor language for recruitment and consenting materials that best suit their target population. When engaging vulnerable populations, researchers should emphasize confidentiality and privacy considerations, especially if members of the group are not publicly identified. Jona Avdiu, an IRB Research & Writing Ethics intern, interviewed Dr. Prerna Arora, the director of the School Mental Health for Minoritized Youth and Families (SMILE) Research Lab, and Ph.D. Candidate Karissa Lim to discuss recruiting individuals from minoritized populations. Click here to read further.

SMILE Lab Members Karissa Lim and Ana Ledesma present their research Lessons Learned From Conducting Research with Newcomer Immigrant Adolescents. This poster session discussed the importance of conducting research with newcomer immigrant adolescents (NIA), a growing population, to understand their experiences in schools. This study presents the strengths and challenges of conducting research with NIA populations to inform evidence-based decisions of future research.

SMILE Lab Members Juandiego Carmona, Julie Gupta, and Ana Ledesma attended a Book Talk with Carmen Rita Wong in a discussion of her new book, Why Didn't You Tell Me? A Memoir, a riveting and poignant story of the author's experience of race and culture in America and how they shape who we think we are (New York: Crown, 2022). The talk was moderated by licensed psychologist Dr. Dale Atkins.

The Division 16 Antiracism Award Selection Committee has awarded Karissa Lim the 2022 Antiracism Award in the Outstanding Student category. Additionally, the Division 16 Antiracism Award Selection Committee has awarded Dr. Prerna Arora the 2022 Antiracism Award in the Emerging Professional category. Congratulations to these two highly deserving, passionate antiracist advocates who dedicate their respective platforms to do social justice work within the field of school psychology. 

New York City public schools need to invest in more effective, impactful strategies to support immigrant students, which is roughly 50% of English-language learners (ELLs). Immigrant and ELL students have heightened challenges, often struggling poverty while their families acclimate to a new language and culture.  Dr. Arora and Dr. Wheeler co-author this Op-ed to discuss how imperitive it is for schools to appropriately, intentionally meet immigrant students' needs in culturally comptent ways. Click here to read further.

In some states, new laws limit how educators can discuss race, ‘divisive concepts’ or current events. Experts worry about the effects of ignoring real-world events. Dr. Arora is interviewed on her perspective, discussing how imperitive it is to address race and real world issues within the classroom in order to develop the whole child. Click here to read further.