Dana Winters, Ph.D.

The Power of Simple Interactions: Understanding and Promoting Everyday Human Interactions

Date: Thursday, March 11, 2021
Time: 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm EST

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Dr. Dana Winters is the Director of Simple Interactions and Academic Programs and assistant professor of child and family studies at the Fred Rogers Center. She contributes significantly to expand Simple Interactions as an approach for adult-child and adult-adult interactions across multiple contexts to​ serve children and the adults who help them. She leads the Fred Rogers Center team to use Simple Interactions to support child-serving professionals across early childhood and other developmental contexts.

Serving children and families requires us to understand and address a complex system of challenges and opportunities. It is sometimes difficult to imagine how a single, small, and ordinary moment fits within these complex challenges and rising demands for outcomes. Yet, such moments are the most essential building blocks of a healthy community.  Finding meaningful ways to talk about such moments can be encouraging, enriching, and empowering at every level of a system in the service of children, youth, and families. Each simple interaction lays the groundwork for lasting developmental relationships. At the foundation of all healthy human development is the power of human connection – and we will explore the power we have to build connections and contribute to the positive development of those around us.
This presentation will be appropriate across all levels of the system – including those in the social worker field, child welfare, juvenile justice, and human services: direct service, administration and support, and policymaking.

Learning objectives:

  • Recognize the role of interactions in human development;
  • Identify ways that human interactions can be encouraged and grown across all levels of a system; and,
  • Apply the conceptual foundation of developmental relationships to the everyday practice of supporting the learning.