Campbell Lecture 2025
“Knowing I’m not alone”:
Strengthening families and building caring communities through the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative
Shauna Tominey, PhD
Associate Professor, Oregon State University
Shauna Tominey (she/her) is an Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University and the state coordinator for the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative. As a former early childhood teacher and parenting educator, Shauna blends practical experience with research to develop programs that promote social and emotional skills for children and adults. She is the author of “Creating Compassionate Kids: Essential Conversations to Have With Young Children,” and a contributor for PBS Kids for Parents. Her favorite moments come from spending time with her family, learning something new from the community, and shared moments that help us see humanity in one another.
Description of lecture
In 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called parental stress a national public health crisis–underscoring what families have always known: raising children can be both deeply rewarding and deeply challenging. Today’s parents face timeless struggles in navigating the transition to parenthood as well as new and growing pressures driven by rapid technological change and an ever-evolving social landscape. Grounded in research on the importance of parenting education, faculty and staff at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families partnered with Oregon’s four largest philanthropic foundations to launch the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC), an initiative aimed at creating a statewide system of parenting support and a “home” for families.
Since then, OPEC has expanded in partnership with three state agencies, reaching more than a million families and the professionals who support them. Now in its 15th year, OPEC offers powerful lessons in building a responsive and caring state system. This talk will highlight how collaboration, research-to-practice translation, and community-centered approaches can come together to support thriving families.
The Cynthia and Duncan Campbell Lecture on Childhood Relationships, Risk and Resilience is presented annually and made possible by Cindy and Duncan Campbell.
