Christine M. McWayne

Assistant Professor

"[In my work with Head Start] we're looking at children's educational experiences at home, parents' participation in their children's school activities, how different cultural groups define family involvement in [their] programs, and the relationships between teachers and parents."

Christine McWayne decided to become a psychologist because of two significant experiences in her early twenties.  The first was her efforts with a humanitarian relief and development organization in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where she helped with a youth program and the building of an orphanage.  The second was her work at a residential treatment facility for adolescents who were victims of physical and sexual abuse. 

“Within both of these very different contexts, I learned that what excited me most about the field of psychology was the challenge to think about individual children within broader settings – such as health care, community and family.  Psychologists are able to promote positive changes within these settings by better understanding how children function within them.”

With this realization, McWayne entered the University of Pennsylvania’s School, Community and Clinical-Child Psychology program.  There she became involved with Head Start, the national school readiness organization that provides comprehensive education, health and nutrition services to low-income children and their families. “Head Start was an excellent place to begin my research,” she says, “because it meets children where they are - in their communities.” 

Once McWayne received her doctorate, she came directly to NYU Steinhardt.   Through her department she continues her work with Head Start.  “I’m currently helping Head Start assess family involvement in their programs.  We’re looking at children’s educational experiences at home, parents’ participation in their children’s school activities, how different cultural groups define family involvement in Head Start’s programs and the relationships between teachers and parents.” 

McWayne’s scholarship on such issues recently garnered her the Daniel E. Griffith's Award, given every year to the Steinhardt faculty member whose work has made a significant contribution to their field.

McWayne encourages her students to participate in her work with Head Start, and considers their participation “an important element of a partnership building process between NYU and the communities that Head Start serves.” 

Her students spend at least a day a week at Head Start centers, where they get to know how their programs work before they embark on any work with the organization.   This way, the projects they do with Head Start come out of the relationships they build within the Head Start system.  

“One of the goals of my research,” says McWayne, “is to create a genuine space in which members of the communities that Head Start serves can shape the research concerning them that occurs in universities.  The ultimate goal, however, is to break down the walls that exist between universities and the outside world.  That’s one of the missions of Steinhardt and why I’m excited to be here.”

Christine M. McWayne's complete faculty bio.