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The School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego (USD) is proud to announce the establishment of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity (CEEN) . The new center is made possible through a gift from the San Diego Foundation.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative programming and workshops, the center aims to address the unique needs and strengths of neurodivergent individuals while promoting awareness and understanding across the broader community.

"Students choose to attend SOLES at USD because we develop educators, leaders and mental health professionals to help our various communities and empower them to inspire meaningful change," said Kimberly A. White-Smith, EdD, dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. "We are always seeking how to best serve our region, and in that pursuit, we saw the need for a unique solution to the challenges neurodivergent learners experience in their education journey, which is not new but has historically been overlooked or misunderstood. CEEN is our answer to ensuring educators are equipped with the strategies and skills needed to provide inclusive learning environments where unique and diverse minds are valued and celebrated."

CEEN will serve preschool through post-secondary educators, child-serving professionals and caregivers by offering the necessary support, training and resources. The goal is to transform mindsets about neurodiverse learners, revolutionize teaching and learning and create access while igniting advocacy for systemic reform.

"Because our education systems promote a narrow definition of success, we limit neurodivergent learners' opportunities to showcase their unique strengths and make valuable contributions. Through our innovative professional development initiatives, CEEN will help open doors that previously have been closed. The true measure of success for CEEN is when educators and student-serving professionals no longer look away because they have the knowledge and tools to support neurodiverse learners," added Niki Elliott, PhD, director of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity.

"We will amplify our reach and impact to help thousands more students in our region today and into the future through CEEN. San Diego students will benefit when educators and caregivers who teach neurodiverse students receive an equity-based social-emotional training experience that is unparalleled," shared Pamela Gray Payton, chief impact and partnerships officer for San Diego Foundation.

The University of San Diego believes a diversity of people, ideas, beliefs, languages and approaches to learning are essential for education. The launch of the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity represents a significant step forward in the university's mission to create a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.

- USD News Center