Engaging Parents as Co-Designers and Researchers in Research-Practice Partnerships

Overview of Research Insights: Our research-practice partnership (RPP) unites the Orange County EducationalAdvancement Network (OCEAN) at the University of California, Irvine’s School of Education with the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI). Established in 2019, this partnership is grounded in our shared commitment to strengthening early childhood education through fostering equitable collaboration with parents and families. We engage parents as co-designers of educational artifacts and as community researchers to assess the impact of these artifacts on out-of-school environments. Artifacts reflect the local cultural values and practices while promoting early Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning through play.