School of Education faculty and doctoral students attend national early childhood policy institute

By Rachel Sampson
August 28, 2026

Associate Professor Jade Jenkins and School of Education doctoral students April Yu and Pritha Sengupta recently represented UC Irvine at the Early Childhood Policy in Institutions of Higher Education (ECPIHE) Summer Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

The four-day institute brought together 56 graduate students and faculty from 12 universities to learn about the policies that shape early childhood education and care. Participants heard from leaders in Congress, federal agencies, advocacy organizations, philanthropy, and research while exploring how policy is developed and how research can help inform decision-making.

Pritha Sengupta (left) and April Yu

The program also included a visit to Capitol Hill, where participants met with congressional staff to discuss issues affecting young children, families, and the early childhood workforce.

Yu attended as the School of Education's Student-to-Student Representative, while Sengupta participated as UC Irvine's ECPIHE Fellowship award recipient. Together with Jenkins, they represented UC Irvine as part of a national network working to strengthen the connection between research, policy, and practice in early childhood education.