A group of three Institute of Child Development (ICD) students was named the winner of the College of Education and Human Development and University of Minnesota (U of M) World’s Challenge Challenge grant competition. The competition brings together students from various institutions and countries to identify innovative solutions to significant global issues.

The ICD team was made up of Sarah Gillespie and Lauren Eales, graduate students in the developmental psychopathology and clinical science PhD program, and Sarah Eckerstorfer, an undergraduate in the developmental psychology major. Gillespie, Eales, and Eckerstorfer are members of the Culture and Family Life Lab, which is directed by ICD Associate Professor Gail Ferguson and studies the intersection of health, media, and culture among youth globally. 

Their proposed research project would culturally adapt and evaluate the lab’s JUS Media? Programme intervention in classrooms across approximately 10 countries using the lab’s global network of secondary educators. The JUS Media? Programme is food-focused media literacy intervention that aims to address obesity- and nutrition-related issues in remotely acculturating youth. 

Each member of the team will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will represent the U of M at the 2021 global grant competition at Western University in Canada, where they will compete for funds to carry out their project. 

Learn more

Follow the Culture and Family Life Lab on Twitter @Ferguson_Lab and the hashtag #RemoteAcculturation to learn more about the proposal and the lab’s research.