Erikson Institute

Erikson Institute’s work is guided by a five-year strategic plan (2019-2023) which proposes to increase our impact through growth and collaboration: scaling up to reach a balance where Erikson, while still relatively small and focused, can extend our influence so that Chicago, and the nation at large, can gain a greater and more holistic appreciation for a child’s earliest years. Our organizational growth means more Erikson graduates in the field, more children and families directly served, more opportunities to disseminate expert knowledge and research, greater influence on policy, and more partnerships and pipelines for students through connectivity in and out of Erikson.

Erikson Institute was one of the first institutions in the country to recognize the importance of a child’s early years. Today, our groundbreaking work continues to define us as pioneers in the field of early childhood and leaders in the essential work to make a positive difference for children, families, and communities.

With an exclusive focus on educating, serving, and leading in the early childhood field, our work to improve the lives of young children and their families is supported by four pillars:

-Innovative academic programs

We are the premier graduate school in child development and a leader in continuing education for professionals who work with young children and their families. On our downtown Chicago campus and through distance learning, we uniquely prepare adults to become informed leaders and practitioners. We offer a range of advanced degrees and certificate programs in child development, early childhood education, and social work.

-Direct service in the community

Our students, faculty, and staff provide a wide range of direct services to children and families in Illinois. More than 7,000 families have been served by our Center for Children and Families and Early Childhood Project, a partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Each year, our students put in more than 35,000 hours of field service at 61 agencies serving 1,500 children and their families.

-Applied research

Erikson's current research projects respond directly to the needs of young children and the people who serve them by focusing on what works and how and on models that can be replicated. Our groundbreaking research includes several studies that are the first of their kind in the field on topics including home visiting, mindfulness interventions in the classroom, and home-based child care.

-Field-wide policy advocacy and influence

Our Policy and Leadership team works collaboratively with communities and their leaders to inform policy and systems change that ensures all children receive equitable opportunities to achieve their full potential. We do this through three initiatives:
Early Childhood Leadership Academy
Early Development Instrument (EDI) Project
Risk and Reach Report

Erikson is guided by strong leadership to meet its objectives. Erikson's Board of Trustees demonstrates a deep commitment to preserving and enhancing the Institute. For 55 years, trustees have skillfully guided Erikson through its metamorphosis from a small, local, and unaccredited institution to a highly respected national leader in the field, with a strong endowment, national student body, and innovative, accredited academic programs. In addition to their strong financial support, trustees play a critical role in building greater awareness of Erikson's activities and impact in the Chicago community and beyond, helping to identify and attract new sources of support. For more than 10 years, the board has participated vigorously in several large initiatives that have contributed significantly to the preservation and enhancement of the Institute.

Erikson's fifth president, Dr. Mariana Souto-Manning, began her leadership role at the Institute in September 2021. Prior to joining Erikson, Dr. Souto-Manning was the Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Erikson's senior management team works in partnership with the new president to set policy, discuss organizational issues from the leadership perspective, and problem-solving. This group is comprised of the Chief Financial Officer, Chief External Affairs Officer, and Interim Senior Vice-President of Academic Affairs. With over 200 full-time employees and 55 years since our founding, Erikson has the workforce and experience to achieve its goals and objectives.

Some of Erikson Institute's recent accomplishments include:

-Erikson has experienced five years of unprecedented enrollment growth, increasing its student body by an astounding 75% and enrolling over 500 students last academic year. As of fall 2021, our enrollment stands strong at 468 students, with little attrition resulting from the pandemic.

-Erikson’s Center for Children and Families’ (CCF) has remained a constant source of mental health support for the youngest children in communities throughout Chicago during the global health crisis. To provide a continuum of care during the pandemic, CCF adopted a HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform. From July 2020 to June 2021, a total of 319 families were supported by the early childhood mental health and diagnostic services provided by CCF. 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.

-Erikson has recently launched the Early Teaching and Learning Academy (the Academy), an intellectual and educational hub that integrates resources and expertise at Erikson to focus services, research, and advocacy on teaching and learning from birth through age eight. In partnership with Illinois State Board of Education’s Department of Early Childhood, the Academy is currently delivering a multi-dimensional professional development system of support to improve kindergarten readiness and bridge pre-k and kindergarten learning in Illinois over the next three years. The professional development will teach corollary practices, routines, and play-based activities that map to the state-mandated Kindergarten Individual Assessment Survey (KIDS) and help the State measure improvement over time.

-Erikson’s Policy and Leadership Department released the second edition of the Risk and Reach Report in July 2021, which features mostly 2019 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