Faculty Member Shannon Wanless Receives Aspen Institute Fellowship
Shannon Wanless, associate professor and director of the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, has received a 2024 Ascend Fellowship from the Aspen Institute. Wanless is one of 22 leaders across the United States selected for the 2024 cohort for their transformative work to help children and families thrive.
“To be seen at a national level as someone who is ready to do bigger things for children and families re-energizes the work I’m doing and makes me think and dream on a larger scale,” says Wanless.
Wanless joins a legacy of more than 160 leaders who work to change systems and drive policy agendas that support the well-being of all children and families. Ascend Fellows have enacted transformative state policies, advocated for children and families as part of the United States Senate and state governor’s offices, led nonprofits, and conducted groundbreaking academic research.
Now Wanless is ready to do the same.
As an Ascend Fellow, Wanless will create a community of practice designed to break down silos among adults in Western Pennsylvania who care for children. This will include higher education students and faculty, local practitioners and leaders, and the families they serve.
“In higher education, we help many adults develop skills so they can work with children. Whether as educators, pediatricians, librarians, social workers, and juvenile justice advocates and so forth, they all improve children’s lives in their own professions,” says Wanless. “Rarely have we brought them all together with local families, practitioners, and community leaders to consider, ‘What kind of future are we all working toward?’”
For this community of practice, Wanless plans to build on insights gained from a previous Office of Child Development grant project that established communities of practice focused on social-emotional learning.
“Children are served best when you can break down silos among the adults who care for them,” says Wanless. “The magic happens when you get those people in the room together to hear from each other and realize they are all on the same team.”
Over the course of the 18-month Aspen Institute fellowship, Wanless will engage with other leaders in her cohort through regular online meetings, coaching calls, and four fellowship forums in Aspen, Colorado.
“Being able to connect with and be inspired by like-minded, visionary leaders across the country is pretty powerful,” says Wanless. “Based on my experiences, being part of a community is essential to take big leaps. It’s not always easy to find that community. But for me, it’s been worth the time to seek out and find my people. They are inspirational and their energy pours back into my work in a big way.”
Learn More
Meet the 2024 Ascend Fellows and learn more about the fellowship on the Aspen Institute’s website.
