This page introduces the two main authors of this website, Nick Hopwood and Teena Clerke
"As the project lead I would like welcome all readers to this website. I have been humbled by the practices I have observed and the people I have met through this project. My wish is that this website reflects the best of this and makes it available in ways that others find useful. Supporting families with young children is rarely easy work, and this site provides glimpses into the knowledge, skill, artistry, insight and creativity that we found where we tracked stories of positive change. I hope this site makes a difference to parents, children, and the many people who support them."
Nick is Associate Professor at the UTS School of Education. He has been doing educational research since 2002. While he has consistently been interested in what and how people learn, his focus on services for families with children began when he joined UTS in 2010. He first worked with Teena in a long-term observational study of the Residential Unit of Karitane. This was a turning point, when he saw what a difference support for families can make, and became passionate about using research to better understand this process and help practitioners and services improve.
"As a key member of the project team, I am immensely grateful to the professionals and families who welcomed me into their workplaces and homes. This enabled me to observe 'practice wisdom' in action, which is reflected in this website. I hope this helps those who use it to better understand the opportunities for change that positive early intervention offers those experiencing challenges in parenthood. The insights I have gained through this experience continue to help me, even though my children are now teenagers."
Teena has conducted educational research since 2006, covering a wide range of projects and disciplines, including her PhD about women rewriting design scholarship. Her research interests include how people learn in professional practice, feminist research approaches and visual methodologies, reflecting her visual communication design background.
We also wish to acknowledge Belinda Gottschalk and Anne Nguyen who contributed to analysis and the development of the ideas underpinning sections of this website.