Chih-Ing Lim, PhD, a senior technical assistance specialist at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), has been awarded a 2024 UNC Rural Research and Engagement Award.

With more than 3.4 million people living in its 78 rural counties, North Carolina has the second-largest rural population in the U.S. The Rural Research Engagement and Advancement Fund, a funding program for community-campus partnerships serving rural North Carolina, is helping address the critical need for research partnership support for community-engaged faculty and staff through these annual awards.  

Lim, who is also an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Education, along with three FPG colleagues, Senior Technical Assistance Specialist Camille Catlett, MA, Technical Assistance Specialist Jessica Amsbary, PhD, and Technical Assistance Specialist Hsiu-wen Yang, PhD, will collaborate with Robeson Community College, Robeson County Partnership for Children, the Lumbee Tribe of NC, and UNC Pembroke on a project titled, "Co-Creating Culturally Responsive Instructional Tools for Early Childhood Teacher Educators in Robeson County."  

The team is developing culturally responsive instructional materials for preparing current and future early childhood educators (ECEs) in Robeson County to more authentically support the rural children and families that they serve.

“The SCRIPT-NC team is excited to extend the work with partners including families and the Lumbee tribe in Robeson County to enhance the preparation of early childhood educators by co-creating a set of personas of children and families that are reflective of the community,” says Lim. “The project builds on the work that co-director of SCRIPT-NC, Camille Catlett, has successfully led in partnership with faculty, community partners, and families in Michigan, California, and other states.”

To learn more about the UNC Rural Research Engagement and Advancement Fund (RREAF) and find out who the other 2024 award recipients are, visit the RREAF website.