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May 5, 2026

NC State Commencement: Congratulations to CFACE’s Polina Nekrasova

As North Carolina State University celebrates commencement, the Center for Family and Community Engagement (CFACE) proudly recognizes the graduates within our community. This milestone reflects your academic excellence and your dedication to strengthening families, supporting communities and advancing meaningful change. Through your research and engagement, you have contributed to efforts that make a lasting impact…

Apr 28, 2026

A Conversation on Food Insecurity: Understanding Food Insecurity in Families

Food insecurity is often misunderstood. It is easy to assume it only affects certain neighborhoods or that simple solutions—like teaching families to cook—can fix the problem. However, a conversation with Dr. Sarah Bowen, a sociologist at NC State with 15 years of research in food systems, reveals a much more complex and deeply human reality.…

Apr 6, 2026

Inspire Kids to Love the Earth: Local Earth Day Activities

Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, is an opportunity to teach children the importance of environmental stewardship. Through simple hands-on activities, we can spark a sense of wonder and build lifelong habits that lead to a healthier planet. Get Outside and Explore Start with a nature walk. You can print our guides with native plants,…

Mar 30, 2026

Social Work: Then vs. Now

Social work has changed significantly over the past century, evolving from informal charity and volunteer efforts into a regulated profession grounded in education, ethics and evidence-based practice. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the field was rooted in religious and charitable organizations. Volunteers, known as “friendly visitors,” provided basic aid and moral guidance…

Feb 23, 2026

New Beginnings: A Time to Reflect, Connect and Grow Together

Recently, the CFACE team came together for a retreat that created space to pause, reflect and reconnect with our shared purpose. Appropriately titled New Beginnings, the retreat was designed to strengthen relationships, deepen understanding across the Center and align our work as we move forward together. Gaining Insight and Strengthening Connections One of the most…

Creating a safe and supportive home helps children feel comfortable expressing their feelings, asking for help and learning how to care about others. By combining emotional safety with lessons about fairness, families help children grow into adults who care about others and feel confident standing up for themselves and those around them. For more practical ideas on how to have open, age‑appropriate conversations about social justice (and how to help raise compassionate, justice‑minded children), check out “How to Be a Social Justice Parent and Raise Compassionate Kids” from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Feb 19, 2026

What Social Justice Looks Like in Everyday Family Life

The phrase social justice can sound big, political or far removed from daily life. However, social justice is not just about laws or systems. It shows up in small, everyday moments inside our homes, schools and communities.At its heart, social justice is about fairness, dignity and access. In family life, that often looks like meeting…

Dec 8, 2025

Caregiving After Loss: Gina’s Journey

Gina, a proud grandmother of two, grew up in a small, isolated community in Colorado where family and neighbors relied on one another. She says she grew up feeling it was essential to take care of people you loved and to be taken care of by people who love you. That lesson became the foundation…

Nov 10, 2025

Family Engagement Month 2025: Acknowledging Impact & Helpful Resources

November is National Family Engagement Month, a time to remember and celebrate the impact that families have on childhood, education and community well‑being across every month of the year. Families are the first and longest‑lasting teachers, nurturers and advocates a child will know. As research affirms, “meaningful family engagement results in better outcomes for students,…

Aug 5, 2025

Beating Back-to-School Burnout: Local Resources to Beat Burnout This School Year

As the excitement of a new school year builds, so too can the pressure; however, with some foresight and practical strategies, families can protect their well-being from day one.

NC State staff and faculty pose in group photo during the CINC tour to western NC in 2025

Jul 21, 2025

Center Director Lorraine Taylor Joins the Connecting in North Carolina Bus Tour

Center Director Dr. Lorraine Taylor participated in last month’s NC State Office of Outreach and Engagement’s Connecting in North Carolina (CINC) Tour. The CINC Tour is an opportunity for new faculty and staff to gain a better understanding of the University’s outreach across counties and the impacts of those efforts, and put a face to…