Applied Community Psychology Specialization Receives Honor

Antioch University Los Angeles extends its enthusiastic congratulations to the AULA Applied Community Psychology (ACP) Specialization for receiving the 2011 Award for Excellence in Education Programs. This prestigious award recognizes the ground-breaking work that the Specialization is doing in promoting the development of the field of community psychology and community research. AULA commends Founding Director of the Specialization, Sylvie Taylor, Ph.D., and Specialization Faculty Gregor V. Sarkisian, Ph.D., for their tireless dedication to the field and for their strong commitment to taking educational theory out of the classroom and into the community where it is effecting positive change.

Dr. Taylor is also co-founder of Project Second Life— a collaborative project of the Applied Community Psychology Specialization and the AULA Education Department— which promotes “living simply so that others may simply live.” With fellow founder Cynthia McDermott, Ph.D. of AULA’s Education Department, Dr. Taylor and Project Second Life seek to present each quarter an evening of education and activities aimed at increasing awareness and engagement of sustainable practices. This quarter’s event on May 5, 2011 will highlight “Starved For Attention,” a project of Doctors Without Borders that is working to change the double standard that exists in international food aid policy. Currently, cereal-based fortified flours donated to malnourished children around the world do not meet the basic nutritional standards for infants and young children, a reality highlighted by the fact that none of these cereals are used in nutrition programs in donors’ own countries. Project Second Life will be collecting signatures at the May 5 event to call for an end to this practice.