Bridging Data & Community Perspectives

UCLA Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) Internship Partnership with the Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force

The Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force is grateful for its ongoing partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) Minor Program. As part of their intensive academic and community internship, UCLA students combine rigorous coursework in child development, early care and education, and developmental science with hands-on experience working with and on behalf of infants, toddlers, and families.

This project, Bridging Data and Community Perspectives, was completed by UCLA ADP interns Isabella Montes and Selene Gutierrez in collaboration with the Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force. Using Early Development Instrument (EDI) data as a starting point, the interns conducted interviews with community members and local leaders to better understand the strengths, challenges, and opportunities within the Pico neighborhood and the broader Santa Monica community. Their work reflects the ADP program's commitment to connecting academic learning with meaningful community engagement and advocacy while addressing persistent inequities affecting young children and families.

Thank You

We extend our sincere appreciation to Isabella and Selene for their dedication, professionalism, curiosity, and thoughtful engagement throughout this project. They invested substantial time in understanding the Early Development Instrument, engaging with community members, identifying themes across interviews, and developing recommendations to inform future community efforts.

Congratulations to both Isabella and Selene on their graduation! We are delighted that Isabella will be joining The Growing Place at the Marine Park campus as an infant teacher, and that Selene will be joining The Growing Place at the Early Childhood Lab School as a lead teacher. We are so pleased to know that their commitment to supporting young children and families will continue here in the Santa Monica community. We wish them every success as they begin this exciting next chapter in their careers.