Dr. Mavis G. Sanders

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Senior Advisor
mgsanders@childtrends.org

Mavis G. Sanders is Senior Research Scholar of Black Children and Families at Child Trends. She leads an applied research agenda to advance racial equity and social justice. Previously, Dr. Sanders was Professor of Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She was the inaugural director of UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities, working with families, educators, and community partners on best practices for early childhood education. Previously, Dr. Sanders a professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education, conducted research in the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), and was Assistant Director of NNPS.

Dr. Sanders authored over 60 publications on family and community engagement in schools and the effects of home, school, and community collaboration on African American students’ school success. She is co-author, with Steve Sheldon, of Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Corwin Press, 2009), and co-author of School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Fourth Edition (Epstein, et al., Corwin Press, 2019). Dr. Sanders is co-editor of Reviewing the Success of Full-Service Community Schools in the US: Challenges and Opportunities for Students, Teachers, and Communities (with Claudia Galindo, Routledge, 2020). At Child Trends, see: An applied research agenda on black children and families to advance practice and policies that promote their well-being, and other papers. In all of her work, Dr. Sanders is committed to improving the life trajectories of children and youth through research on school, family, and community partnerships