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"Before WMU I wasn't really the person to like reach out for help. So I when I got here, I took advantage of every opportunity there was."
Jamiese Edmonson (B.S.'14, child and family development, M.A. '22, youth and community development) is currently working at Kalamazoo Regional Education Services Agency as a career coach in the Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program. YOU was created to serve at-risk youth in Kalamazoo and was one of the first organizations designed to assist high school dropouts through reconnection to education and employment training. Jamiese is also a Kalamazoo Promise alumnus, graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School in 2016.
The Kalamazoo Promise provides full scholarships to any public college in Michigan for all graduates who had received their elementary and secondary schooling in the Kalamazoo Public Schools. Since the establishment of the Kalamazoo Promise in 2005, Promise-type programs have been initiated in numerous other cities in the U.S. Funding for the Kalamazoo Promise is being provided by a small group of anonymous donors. For more information visit WMU's Kalamazoo Promise page.
Child development and services at WMU
The family science and human development: child development (formerly child and family development) and services concentration prepares individuals to work with children, and their families, in a range of care and service settings. This concentration centers on the development of children, birth through school age, and the cultivation of skills, environments, and programs that promote healthy child development and outcomes. Interpersonal relationships and communications; diverse family systems; parent education; family law and policy; and professional ethics and competencies are emphasized.
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