Dr. Guerda Nicolas from the University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development exemplifies dedication and passion for impactful research. With years of experience in community-focused projects, Nicolas integrates research with meaningful partnerships to drive change.
One major initiative led by Nicolas is the Kalula program, established to bolster identity and well-being among youth in communities like West Grove and Liberty City.
“We have the Kalula program... running in West Grove and now in Liberty City with an organization called Urgent, Inc., which has been a partner of ours for the last couple of years,” said Nicolas.
Collaborating with organizations such as Urgent, Inc., Nicolas’s team emphasizes culturally informed support, extending their work to the Haitian-American community through a multidisciplinary group, HAPSI. A notable project under this umbrella involves culturally adapting the widely-used dementia and Alzheimer’s assessment tool, MoCA, to Haitian Creole, funded by a Florida Department of Health grant.
“We applied for a Florida Department of Health grant... to culturally adapt [the MoCA] specifically for Haitians and pilot test it with a small sample here in South Florida,” said Nicolas.
Nicolas's research pivots on young people’s mental health, emphasizing innovation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched the “Fireside Mental Health Chat” in partnership with First Star Academy, an organization aiding youth in foster care. This program stands out for letting students choose discussion topics, creating a stigma-free environment for addressing mental health.
“Addressing young people's mental health calls for us to be innovative... It can't be done the same way as people see it on television,” said Nicolas. With creative infusions of music and art from partners like Creative 8, the program effectively engages high schoolers in conversations that empower them and enhance their mental health.
Challenges persist, particularly around securing sufficient funding for brain health initiatives, which Nicolas highlights as underappreciated despite its critical importance.
“The biggest challenge, honestly, is the lack of funding... If I said I was interested in kidney health, I’d probably get funding, but brain health hasn’t caught on in the same way,” said Nicolas. Support from groups like Pave the Way Foundation, though limited, has been vital.
“Imagine if we actually had larger funding... the sheer number of young people that would be able to reach and support to these programs,” said Nicolas.
Looking ahead, Nicolas will continue disseminating her work through her role as editor for the Journal of Community and Social Action and a book series with Palgrave.
“I just became the editor of a new journal... and my team is looking to publish a book on indigenous research methodologies, exploring alternative methods for research globally,” said Nicolas.
Her team also plans to present their research at the upcoming Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology.
For Nicolas, research in 2024 must be innovative and intertwined with holistic wellness, pushing beyond traditional practices to meet the evolving needs of society.
“There is no health without mental health... We need to embody this in a meaningful way, even here locally,” said Nicolas.
