Associate Professor of Psychology Beth Trammell will offer a community-based workshop series, “Making Words Matter with Kids,” to teach parents, teachers and caregivers how to effectively communicate with children between the ages of 18 months and 12 years. The workshop series is made possible through an Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council award Trammell received in spring 2018.

Beth Trammell

Trammell is a licensed psychologist and has a private practice working with families outside of her job at IU East. She received her Doctorate in School Psychology, Master of Counseling Psychology, and her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Ball State University.

Trammell said this workshop grows from her clinical practice where she sees how many families really want to be better parents, but just do not have the resources. The Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council grant will provide funds for the workshops as well as travel to present research about this to the field of psychology.

“I really love seeing the ripple effects of this workshop in the lives of the children, too,” Trammell said. “Not only are parents able to develop new parenting skills, but the kids also love to come hang out with college students during the workshops and love that their parents are less stressed at home.”

The next workshop available to the community will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on October 4, October 18 and November 1. Dinner and childcare is included. The workshop is free for participants, but registration is required and maybe completed online at iue.edu/makingwordsmatter by September 21.

“Overall, it is a win-win for both parents and kids,” Trammell said. “Beyond that, I am a parent of four kids myself. So, I know how hard it can be to know what to do in a variety of situations as a parent. I just want to help share resources that I know work in everyday life situations.”

Michelle Malott, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the grant will benefit the community.

“We would like to thank the IU Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council for supporting this valuable workshop for parents organized by Dr. Trammell,” Malott said. “This workshop is one of the many ways our faculty serve the community. Dr. Trammell has years of experience in working with families and providing solutions to becoming better caregivers.”

The IU Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council was convened by the Indiana University Foundation Board of Directors in 2010. The council’s mission is to lead fundraising and engagement efforts that inspire women to give of their time, talent and resources to Indiana University and to develop women leaders in philanthropy.

The IU Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council, in its seventh grant cycle, awarded $150,138 to 20 programs affiliated with seven IU campuses on June 6. Grants ranged from $500 to $18,000.

The council prioritizes initiatives that develop women’s leadership; provide global experiences for IU students; improve public health; increase career and educational opportunities in STEM, particularly for women and underserved youth; and foster inclusion among diverse populations.

The Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council awards grants on an annual cycle from the WPLC Fund, which is administered by the Indiana University Foundation. Council members, alumni and friends of IU support the fund with annual contributions.Since 2012, the Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council has awarded more than $820,000 in grant funds.

Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for campuses and units across the university.

Trammell has had several articles published by Psychology in the Schools, Applied Neuropsychology, From Science to Practice and The Encyclopedia of Neuropsychological Disorders. She has presented at conferences including for the National Conference of the American Neuropsychological Association, American Psychological Association Annual Convention, and the Association for Psychological Science. She has also been in clinical practice as a therapist specializing in working with kids for the last 14 years.