Center for Childhood and Youth Studies

The Center for Childhood and Youth Studies values promote:

• The importance of each and every child to shape the world of today and tomorrow
• The integrity of all children and youth, irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, or social position
• The scholarly abilities of the faculty at Salem State to promote child wellbeing
• The importance of civic engagement to make the world a better place, so that all children can have greater possibilities for contributing to its wellbeing, peace, and justice
• The social obligation of communities to provide educational, health, economic, housing, social service, recreational services that children need in order to grow into strong and contributing members of society
• The importance of the family as the child’s main support system
• The role of major social institutions at the political, economic, governmental, legislative, and policy levels and their responsibility to support the wellbeing of all children
• To encourage tolerance and the appreciation of diversity among children
• To facilitate healthful behaviors in the behaviors of children and creativity and joy in the minds of children so they can make positive contributions to the world
• To protect children from violence, abuse and maltreatment of children at every level of society
• To promote the goals of citizenship and social responsibility in children.
• The CCYS seeks to develop partners at the university, community, state, national, and international levels. Let us know your ideas about how we can work together!

The Center for Childhood and Youth Studies was created in 1999 and activities currently include:

• Undergraduate and continuing education instructional opportunities
• A certificate in child studies
• Research activities
• Policy and leadership initiatives
• Community partnerships, civic engagement and service learning 
• A Child and Youth University and Community Consortium

We want to work with anyone who is interested in writing a grant with the CCYS.  We are working with the Essex County Community Foundation and have the desire to collaborate with others in creative and helpful endeavors. Contact Yvonne Vissing to meet and discuss possibilities.

The Center for Child Studies at Salem State can serve the larger community in the following ways:

• Provide guest speakers
• Provide consultation about child issues
• Provide organizational development to those seeking to serve children
• Provide research on child issues, including needs assessments and program evaluations
• Collaboration with other organizations to develop programs to better serve children

The CCYS is part of an international network of child studies and child rights scholars.

• We are partners with the Children and Childhood Network at the University of Nottingham in England
• We are partners with the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People at Swansea University 
• We are partners with the master's program in child rights at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands 

Do you want to have an internship in child rights with the United Nations? Every year they select a few students to work with them. Learn more about these opportunities.

Yvonne Vissing was a judge at the 2017 Moot Court Competition in Child Rights at the University of Leiden, where student teams from around the world acted as lawyers in a child rights case.

• See Yvonne Vissing’s article in the Chronicle of Higher Education on Protecting Children Also Protects Colleges
• Salem State University establishes the Chair of the UNCRC Policy Center
• Salem State Alumna Senator Joan Lovely and Professor Testify on Beacon Hill

• Child Care and Safety
• Foundations
• Policy and Education
• Literature and Interests
• Other Sources and Organizations

The CCYS seeks to develop partners at the university, community, state, national, and international levels. Let us know your ideas about how we can work together! Please contact Yvonne Vissing to discuss possibilities.