M. Dewana Thompson, PhD

Education:
PhD, Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

MA, Child Development, Cognate in Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

BA, Sociology, Hampton University, Hampton, VA

Bio:

Dr. M. Dewana Thompson is the Director of the National Training Team at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC) at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she is proud to lead and support a national and international cadre of trainers. She joined BTC as a National Facilitator in 2010 and in her current role serves as a content expert in the co-creation of professional development content in the areas of family engagement, child development, parenting support, and leadership. She brings over 25 years of experience as a trainer, researcher, educator, and administrator in family engagement. She holds a PhD in Family Studies with an emphasis on Child Development and has used her training to bridge the gap between families and providers throughout her career. She has worked as a director and coordinator of family engagement efforts at the local, state, and national levels, and has had boots on the ground as a family engagement specialist for many years. Dr. Thompson is passionate about family engagement and has dedicated her life’s work to supporting parents and families in their role as their children’s first and most important teachers.

Areas of Interest:
Family engagement
Parenting
Child development
Community engagement
Out-of-school time/Afterschool programming
Black children and families
Building collaborations between families, schools, & communities