Cia Elder
Greensboro,NC
Summary
Dynamic doctoral candidate with a strong passion for positive youth development and advocacy. Proven expertise in programming and mentorship, significantly enhancing youth engagement initiatives in Guilford County. Committed to leveraging knowledge and practical experience to drive impactful change in community programs that serve our youth.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Youth Family and Community Partnerships
Greensboro, North Carolina
05.2025 - Current
- Developed survey instruments using Qualtrics software for collecting primary data from the target population.
Beyond Sports Program Intern
Beyond Sports NC
Greensboro, North Carolina
05.2025 - 08.2025
- Assisted in planning and executing sports clinics for youth engagement.
- Developed promotional materials to enhance program visibility and participation.
- Edited digital content for social media platforms.
- Collaborated with staff on grant development, and supported efforts for submission through research and writing.
- Led sports clinics and volunteers while on-site.
Learning Specialist
Aggie Success Academy Summer Bridge Program at A&T
Greensboro, NC
06.2023 - 08.2024
- Facilitated group discussions to promote collaboration and communication among learners.
- Established positive relationships with students, families, and colleagues to ensure successful learning experiences.
- Offered students personalized educational, behavioral, and emotional support.
- Organized student performance and enrichment activities to facilitate learning.
Graduate Assistant
Guilford County School System
Greensboro, NC
09.2022 - 05.2025
- The Institute for Partnerships in Education (IPiE) in UNC Greensboro’s School of Education (SOE) has partnered with the Guilford County Schools Tutoring Department to create the Tutoring Collaborative. This collaboration is designed to recruit, train, and support full-time graduate students to serve as tutors for K-12 students in Guilford County Schools to provide “high impact, intentional tutoring.”
- Tutor and mentor at Mendenhall Middle School with 6th to 8th grades; supports youth through tutoring at JDC with 6th to 12th graders.
- Assists teachers with organizing and supporting the students.
- Implementing interventions for youth who need more support in math and literacy skills.
Summer Research Fellowship
Search Institute
05.2024 - 10.2025
- "The Search Institute is an international non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that partners with schools, youth programs, community coalitions, and other organizations to conduct and apply research that promotes positive youth development and advances equity."
- Supported data analysis of focus groups and interview data through Dedoose for the "Rooted in Relationships: Cultivating Character Through Communities of Practice" project.
- Supported the development and design of new, data-informed resources and tools.
- Collaborated with colleagues to discuss professional development, data analysis, and career trajectory.
- Created a blog post as a final deliverable called "Programs Need Safe Faces to Create Safe Spaces."
Cabin Director
Pretty Lake Camp
Mattawan, MI
05.2016 - 08.2022
- Summer camp experience from 2016 to 2022 in multiple roles, which included: Camp Counselor (2016), Outpost Director (2017-2019), Program Specialist (2020-2021), and Cabin Director (2022).
- Supervised youth and managed camper behavior across 3rd- 10th grades.
- Built relationships with campers, counselors, and surrounding staff through engagement.
- Worked closely with counselors to communicate daily procedures, and related to them through one-on-one meetings.
- Facilitated and developed team-building activities, camp-wide programs, and schedules for organizational purposes.
Research Assistant
Centering Black Voices Lab
Greensboro, NC
08.2021 - 05.2022
- Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this project works to affirm humanity, prevent violence, and promote healing in the lives of Black boys, men, and families through research and action.
- Actively engaged with the participants through phone calls and video calls to keep them updated on upcoming news in the lab.
- Organized and helped implement a website for the branding of the Centering Black Voices Lab.
- Connected with community members in Baltimore to prepare the Wheat Pasting Portrait Project.
Research Assistant
Strong Minds Strong Communities
Greensboro, NC
08.2021 - 05.2022
- "Strong Minds, Strong Communities" is a five-year, $4 million National Institutes of Health-funded study that targets disparities in mental health care access for underserved populations, particularly racial/ethnic and linguistic minority populations."
- Assisted with data analytics through the use of MPLUS, SPSS, and Excel.
- Prepared and organized profile analyses related to COVID stressors.
Research Assistant
IGrow
Greensboro, NC
08.2020 - 05.2021
- NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant Funded project oriented around determining the earliest predictors of healthy weight and growth during infancy
- Collaborated with undergraduate and graduate students to provide research guidance and supervision.
- Applied good documentation practices when recording data and managing source documentation.
- Set up study areas, prepared participants, and collected specimens or data.
- Examined video documentation and coded for the behaviors of the infant.
Site Supervisor
YMCA
Kalamazoo, MI
03.2019 - 05.2020
- Discussed new developments, behavior, and concerns with parents or guardians.
- Cared for up to 60 children at Parkwood Elementary, ages five to ten.
- Organized and led activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
- Managed daily work assignments by delegating tasks and monitoring progress.
- Guided staff in their roles, and supported them through weekly staff meetings.
Education
Ph.D. - Human Development And Family Studies
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC12-2025
Master of Science - Human Development And Family Studies
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Greensboro, NC08.2022
Bachelor's of Applied Arts - Child Development and Psychology
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI12.2018
Skills
- Effective Communication
- Research Methods
- Program Development
- Excellent Interpersonal Skills
- Culturally Sensitive
- Event Planning and Logistics
- Youth Mentorship
- Community Engagement
- Qualitative Data Analysis: Atlas ti and Dedoose
- Relationship Building
- Team Collaboration
- Microsoft Office
- Qualtrics Survey Software
Timeline
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Youth Family and Community Partnerships
05.2025 - Current
Beyond Sports Program Intern
Beyond Sports NC
05.2025 - 08.2025
Summer Research Fellowship
Search Institute
05.2024 - 10.2025
Learning Specialist
Aggie Success Academy Summer Bridge Program at A&T
06.2023 - 08.2024
Graduate Assistant
Guilford County School System
09.2022 - 05.2025
Research Assistant
Centering Black Voices Lab
08.2021 - 05.2022
Research Assistant
Strong Minds Strong Communities
08.2021 - 05.2022
Research Assistant
IGrow
08.2020 - 05.2021
Site Supervisor
YMCA
03.2019 - 05.2020
Cabin Director
Pretty Lake Camp
05.2016 - 08.2022
Ph.D. - Human Development And Family Studies
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Master of Science - Human Development And Family Studies
University of North Carolina At Greensboro
Bachelor's of Applied Arts - Child Development and Psychology
Central Michigan University
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