Elise Berman (University of North Carolina, ACYIG Convenor) eberman@uncc.edu
NEOS Volume 13, Issue 1, Spring 2021
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It has been a long year for all of us, including at ACYIG. The pandemic has required a pause on many activities, including an ACYIG conference planned for Spring 2021. This pause was both because of the inability to meet in person, and because of the need for everyone, including board members, to have fewer time constraints on their plate at a time when childcare is unavailable, and people are dealing with sickness and loss. COVID-19 has also had a huge effect on youth and schools, as it has on everyone, with implications for professional development, research, and advocacy for caregivers and the youth themselves. Here at ACYIG, we would like to promote the view that pauses in research and professional activity are necessary and not only reasonable but also expected and required for equity.
We are getting back into gear and have some exciting new developments at the organization. We have started a new listserv for ACYIG and other childhood scholars: subscribe at https://groups.io/g/acyig! We will be using this listserv to post opportunities and events, ask questions, and gain feedback. We are also going to be rolling out a new, streamlined website: stay tuned! Our NEOS Co-Editors have done a fantastic job keeping NEOS going. We are also hosting a virtual speaker series consisting of four speakers over the next couple of months. The first speaker was Dr. Amy Brainer, talking about queer youth, COVID-19, and intersectionality, on April 23rd. Be sure to check out future talks! In the Summer and Fall, we will start planning our conference, and if feasible, we may host a conference in Spring 2022—keep in touch for more information.
Many of our advisory board members are stepping down in November or their terms are soon expiring, so we are currently searching for new leaders! We have openings for the Convenor-Elect, Communications Chair, Membership Chair, Graduate Student members, website coordinator, and NEOS Co-Editors. Contact Convenor Elise Berman at eberman@uncc.edu if you are interested in serving or if you know someone who you think might be interested.
We look forward to seeing everyone in person, hopefully sometime soon! In the meantime, join us for our virtual speaker series, read NEOS, and keep in touch through the listserv.