On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, friends, family, and colleagues of the late Marcia Stern, a former faculty member of the Ackerman Institute, recently gathered to celebrate her legacy and dedicate a section of the Ackerman library in her memory. Marcia Stern graduated from the Ackerman externship program in 1994, and then worked at the Institute for many years. She was deeply dedicated to helping children develop critically important social and emotional skills.
Dr. Stern’s family donated her extensive collection of psychology books to the Institute. These books were placed in the library for use by Ackerman students and faculty.
Martha Edwards Director of the Center for Developing Child and Family, began the ceremony by describing the wonderful qualities of Marcia, “Marcia’s creativity and humor were boundless. And underneath all of that was an intelligence and a depth and breadth of knowledge that was breathtaking…Her books are a constant reminder of how she incorporated this body of knowledge into her insightful, creative, and playful interventions for children and in their families and for children in their schools.”
Zina Rutkin, Director of the Center’s Competent Kids/Caring Classrooms, spoke about how Marcia’s insightful and enthusiastic nature lives on in the program today. Marcia’s son then spoke the love and pride that Dr. Stern felt for Ackerman Institute.
Dr. Stern developed Competent Kids/Caring Classrooms (CKCC), a primary prevention program for grades K-5. It is a lively, interactive program using innovative tools, didactic instruction, puppets and original characters, music, movement, role playing, class discussion, and modeling by teachers and peers to promote children’s social-emotional competence and academic achievement. CKCC teaches children social-emotional competencies while simultaneously building caring connections within the school, and between home and school.